are reckoned up by Dr. Sclater There is ad 2 Thes 3. 6. Potestas Ministerii at large Authority to Preach the Gospel and administer the Holy Sacraments Mat. 28. 19. 2. there is Potestas Ordinis a power to Ordein Ministers and make Laws for external Government 1 Tim. 5. 22. Tit. 1. 5. 3. there is Potestas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Censurae to administer Censures less or greater according to the quality of Offences Every mans zeal and knowledge where there is no Organical Church setled was licence enough for him to report what had been done at Jerusalem and what was the present Faith and Practice there If they had any Ministers to Preach with Authority amongst them no doubt they had their Holy Orders and a Divine Mission and were put in Office to that purpose but 't is most likely they had none because tho they had knowledge to admonish one another of the Doctrine they had received yet they had no Authority to teach as S. Ambrose has observed Rom. 15. 14. non dixit ut invicem se doceant sed admoneant and if there had been any such spiritual guides doubtless in such a case of difficulty and danger the Apostle would have referred the Christians to their Conduct as he did in other places And yet every man that hath a licence as well as ability to preach the Gospel has not presently the Authority of a Governor Philip was an Evangelist and Preached Christ to the City of Samaria Baptiz'd Converts and wrought Miracles amongst them yet he had no Jurisdiction there The Apostles sent Peter and John from Jerusalem to lay their hands upon them to Confirm them Acts 8. 14. to 17. Secondly saith our Reconciler The Apostle among many others whom he calls his Helpers in Christ approved in Christ labourers in Christ Rom. 16. 3 9 12. who may all rationally be deemed to be Church-Officers and as rationally deemed to be none Presbyters Deacons and Diaconesses makes mention of Andronicus and Junias of note amongst Christ's Apostles i. e. saith our Reconciler among the Preachers of the Gospel the Teachers of the Christian Faith If these be his Church-Governors then there was a woman got into the Chair at Rome before Pope Joan was heard of for Theophilact saith that Junias was the name of a woman and Grotius thinks she was wife to Andronicus But what is all this to a setled Jurisdiction to establisht Laws and Governors appointed to put them in execution which was the thing he was obliged to prove and now to pay him back a little of his own coin of the finer mettal who could imagine this Reconciler would have had the confidence to oppose a deliberate Verdict upon a Melius inquirendum and pretermitting all the solid Grounds of Truth Reason and Authority upon which it is established think to quash it by his own vain Imaginations All the Ancients that write of the Church of Rome do conclude that it was founded by those two great Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul and S. Paul being the Apostle of the Incircumcision and above all the rest adorned with the title of a chosen vessel to bear the name and Gospel of Christ among the Gentiles Acts 9. 15. in all reason we should allow him a good share in the establishment of that Church which was the most considerable in his whole Province but 't is evident when he wrote his Epistle he had never been at Rome to do it and tho he sent Phaebe with his Epistle I hope no man will be so ill advised as to think he gave her any Commission to Govern If there had been any such Governors there where should we look for them but among those persons of such excellent note whom S. Paul salutes and yet if the Reconciler will needs have them to be Church-Governors the first of the Catalogue is a Woman Rom. 16. 3. Priscilla so likewise 2 Tim. 4. 19. She is called Prisca and set before Aquila and 't is thought what e're the rest were that her Husband was her Convert Priscillam quidem priori loco ponit cujus ratio certa vix reddi potest Si tamen conjecturis locus est illustrior fortussis fuit uxor magis nota omnibus vel prior ad fidem conversa maritum postea instituit Gualt ad Rom. Homil. 93. in p. 225. 2. in fine He sets down Priscilla in the first place for which no certain Reason can be given but if we may conjecture probably the Wife might be of the more honourable extraction and so more publickly known or being first converted to the Faith her self afterwards instructed her Husband in the same That S. Peter was there to plant a Church and settle Governors so as to make a Coalition of Jew and Gentile into one united body before S. Paul wrote this Epistle if he can prove it solidly the present Church of Rome shall thank him for it but the generality of Protestant Writers are against it Take Gualterus instead of all the rest ad Rom 16. 7 16. Homil. 94. Non parum facit hic locus ad confutandum impudens Papistarum figmentum c. This place saith he makes strongly for the confutation of that impudent Fiction of the Papists who dream of S. Peters coming to Rome in the second year of Claudius and that he first constituted a Church there over which he himself did preside for five and twenty years together Now if they say true in this He must be at Rome when S. Paul wrought this Epistle Why then makes he no mention of him or what reason can be alledged why the name of Peter only should be left out of that long and honourable catalogue of those men who were famous in that Church at that time was it because he was ignorant of his being there But this cannot well be seeing that the Faith of Rome was published in most parts of the World and how could so great an Apostle escape S. Paul's knowledge who was acquainted with so many of far meaner quality or shall we think that he concealed S. Peter's name out of emulation But far be such a thing from the sincerity and uprightness of an Apostle and why should he envy Peter his honour who speaks so honourably of many others far inferior to him Therefore our Romanists will never be able to make good this fancy of theirs For what Answer will they give S. Luke who says that Peter was present at the Council of Jerusalem which as St. Paul witnesseth in his second Chapter to the Galathians was held in the eighteenth year after his Conversion which according to true computation falls on the ninth year of Claudius besides these men are not aware how great mischief they do S. Peter when they talk of his sitting as Bishop of Rome for full five and twenty years who according to Christs command ought to have travelled up and down and preached the Gospel in several places And truly
Severity was it because he loved them not this he refers to the searcher of hearts 2 Cor. 11. 11. to judge This was sound Doctrine and wholsom Discipline without question in the Apostles time But perhaps the case may be altered now no it was not we are sure in St. Austins time Quid igitur hic faciat Ecclesiae Ep. 167. medicina salutem omnium materna Charitate conquirens tanquam inter phreneticos Lethargicos aestuans nunquid contemnere nunquid desistere vel debet vel potest utriusque sit necesse est molesta quia neutris est inimica Nam Phrenetici nolunt ligari Lethargici nolunt excitari sed perseverat diligentia charitatis Phreneticum castigare Lethargicum stimulare ambos amare Ambo offenduntur sed ambo diliguntur ambo molestati quandiu aegri sunt indignantur sed ambo sanati gratulantur Now what remedy can the Church which with the tenderness of a Mother seeks the good of all her children apply in this case whilst she is embroiled in the contentions of the Frantick on the one hand and the Stupid and Sullen on the other She neither can well nor indeed ought she utterly to cast them off or cease admonishing them which course soever she takes it must needs trouble her because she has a kindness for both But so long as neither the Frantick and unruly will be restrained by her Laws nor will the sullen be provok'd to observe them she in charity to them both proceeds to chastise the one and rouze up the other and yet retains a love for them both Both take offence and yet what is done is in love to both both are apt to fret and murmur and are angry in their sickness as if they were wronged but upon recovery are glad to find the wholsom effects of those means applyed to them I shall trouble the Reader but with one praemonition more which concerns the Reconcilers dealing with Dr. Womock The Body of his discourse this Champion of Dissention found solid and of too high proof for the little strength of his Assault and Battery and therefore with great wisdom and forecast he never attempts it but yet to shew his good will to the cause and because some sort of men out of their great zeal must be medling he acts the part of the old Serpent and falls a nibling at the Heels of it But that verdict was drawn up with so much evidence of truth that the Dr. dares venture it before any Bench and present it to any that bears the Character and Title of a Judge except the Protestant Joyner or an Ignoramus Jury With the Readers Patience we will try how this Reconciler does attaque it He begins in reference to the fourteenth and fifteenth chapters of the Epistle to the Romans and at pag. 89. of the Verdict Where the Dr. laid down this Position That the Rules of Advice in those Chapters were directions for common use among private Christians and here I am afraid the Reconciler had no honest meaning in changing the Drs. words saying and not Decrees whereas the Dr. goes on thus but for Decrees and Orders of publick use and practice He the Apostle gave out none to this Church because as yet here was no Jurisdiction setled no Laws made no Governors appointed to put them in Execution To prove this the Dr. alledged four Arguments tho the Reconciler takes notice but of three 1. The first of those Arguments was taken from Grotius and it is built upon the Apostles command to those Romans which was only to mark such as caused Divisions and Scandals and not to excommunicate them From whence that Learned man collects that there was not then at Rome any Presbytery or setled Jurisdiction In answer to this Plea the Reconciler pag. 69. saith 1. That it is manifestly false 2. That were it true it alters not the case nor doth it take off from the strength of the present Argument But to mollifie the sharpness of his stile in saying 't is manifestly false he is pleased to be a little more civil and that is much in him and to say only 1. That it is not true For says he can any man imagine yes he knows Grotius and Aretius and others as well as Dr. Womock do imagine it that in such a Church whose Faith was spoken of throughout the World there should be no Ministers to Baptize to Preach the Word to administer the Sacrament of the Lords Supper to them and if there were such there must be a standing Order of Presbyters licensed by the Apostles or their Bishop or exercising their Ministerial Function without licence Before I return my Answer I must in Charity deliver the Reconciler out of his own snare or at least preserve the unwary Reader from it or exercising their Ministerial Function without Licence This is a fallacy which the Logicians call petitio principii whether there were such a Ministerial Function setled as yet at Rome is the thing in question but the Reconciler takes it for granted and so disputes upon it He should have proved it first and then he might very fairly have made his Inference In the mean while I shall tell the Reader for his satisfaction That Rome being the Imperial City and having Commerce with all the World 't was no wonder that all the world should soon have intelligence that the Gospel was brought and entertained amongst them But as a very learned and judicious person observes the Church or rather the Christians at Rome when S. Paul wrote his Epistle thither seems as that also at Antioch was for the most part to be made up of Foreigners both of Jews and Gentiles whom business Acts 28. 17. Rom. 1. 15. 16. drew thither from other converted Provinces as appears both from the Apostles salutations of former Acquaintance Anon. Paraphrase Annot on the Rom. in the preface chap. 16. and from his writing the Epistle in Greek Whether the Sacraments were as yet commonly administred there is not asserted in that Epistle for the mention of Baptism in the sixth Chapter will not evince it that it was but the Gospel of the Resurrection could not want Apostles and Evangelists in a large sense to publish it The good women who brought the glad tidings of our Saviours return from the Grave with life and glory are somewhere stiled Apostolorum Apostolae the Apostles of the Apostles After the death of S. Stephen the Disciples who were scattered abroad Acts 8. 4. went every where Preaching the Word But were all Apostles properly so called Had all power to Plant and Establish and Govern Churches This Reconciler Tit. 1. 5. knows the Gospel was Preached in Creete before any Discipline or Government was established The Schoolmen tell us with great truth and reason that Potestas Ordinis Potestas Jurisdictionis are too several things There are several parts of the holy Function I will recite them as they
to thy self before God Rom. 14. 22. From which words the Doctor would infer That there were no Governers then setled over the Christians who were at Rome For had there been a Bishop there it had been the duty of those under his charge in any matter of Hesitation to have consulted him to resolve their Doubts and settle their perswasions To this the Reconciler is pleased to answer by a double quere 1. Why may not he who hath Faith have it to himself that is forbear acting according to his full persuasion of his Liberty or divulging his opinion to his Brothers prejudice as well if he had twenty Bishops over him as if he had none 2. Why might not S. Paul advise without consulting of his Bishop I shall answer to his last quere first to which I say 1. If S. Paul's advice might satisfie when they had it yet it could not satisfie before when they had it not But 2. among Dissenting Persons there will be a thousand emergent Doubts and Scruples which an Apostle can no more prevent or answer than he can foresee them at such a distance which S. Chrysostome 1 Cor. 11. last thinks to be the Reason why the Apostle reserved the correcting of some things among the Corinthians till his coming to them To the second quere the Dr. gave his resolution in the Verdict p. 125. That Christian Liberty is a Spiritual Privilege and seated in the Soul and may be preserved there in silence But what the Reconciler has said to this Argument is nothing to the purpose He is again insnared in the common Fallacy Ignoratio Elenchi but while the Dr. studied brevity he might be obscure 〈…〉 which the resolves to make amends 〈…〉 question is whether there was 〈…〉 or Church-Governor a 〈…〉 Christians Dr. Woâ—◠〈…〉 none and he 〈…〉 proved from that Text for where there is such a Governor in any matter of doubt 'T is the Subjects Duty to apply himself to him for satisfaction and 't is equally the Bishops Duty to give it him * Id not and um adversus eos qui suo torpori hunc Apostoli Locum obtendunt quasi fidei professio non requiratur Beza ad Locum For certainly he is not set over his Flock to keep his finger in his mouth or which is all one to keep his Faith to himself his duty is to teach 2 Tim. 2. 15. Study to shew thy self approved unto God a workman that needeth not to be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth who then is that faithful and wise Steward whom his Lord shall make Ruler over his Houshold to give them their Portion of meat in due season Luke 12. 42. and what is that Portion of Meat but the which is most proper for the present concern and interest of their souls and does not he feed their hunger in a Spiritual sence who resolves their Doubt and who does this so much belong to as to the Bishop No says our Reconciler These cautions or advices are not only for private persons but for Bishops and Governors and much more for them than for Private Persons Hast thou Rom. 14. 22. Faith have it to thy self before God i. e. take heed lest ye instruct the Ignorance of those under your Charge or help their infirmities or make them to understand what they are to do in doubtful cases This is our Reconcilers Doctrine but point blank against the Apostles Doctrine and Practice 1. Against his Doctrine 1 Thes 5. 14. where his charge to the Church-Governors is Warn them that are disorderly comfort the feeble minded support the weak which certainly is no otherwise to be done but by resolving and removing their doubts and scruples And this was the Apostles Practice two if we may take his own Protestation for it Acts 20. 27. For I have not shun'd to declare unto you the whole Counsel of God whereof doubtless the Truth and Priviledge of Christian Liberty was a part And now I hope the Reconciler will be able to understand the Drs. Argument drawn from those words of the Apostle which may be framed after this manner They who have a Divine Authority and command to resolve Doubts and settle Conscience about things indifferent They are not forbidden by the Apostle to resolve and settle them For then he should take them off from their Duty and obstruct Edification But Church-Governors have a Divine Authority to resolve doubts and settle Conscience about things indifferent Therefore Church Governors are not forbidden by the Apostle to resolve and settle them To argue the case a little further let Si Episcopus taceat alii per eos seductores corrumpantur ipse gravem redditurus est Corruptionis rationem si non possi os obturare ne sis Episcopus Theoph apud Joan. Crocium ad Tit. 1. 11. us descant upon the expostulation and advice upon it Hast thou Faith Keep it to thy self If this be a direction to Pastors and Teachers who has any Authority to reduce a Scismatick from the error of his ways or reconcile a Heretick to the Church This his interpretation of that Chap. and Text takes off all obligation from Bishops and Governors to attempt the Recovering of a Roman-Catholick Nay it makes the attempt unlawful For thus in Conscience according to our Reconcilers Principles he must argue with himself ☞ There could have been no conversion of the Jews from the Law of Moses to the Gospel of Christ if it had been the Duty of the Apostles c. to keep their Faith of those matters to themselves This man is under the jurisdiction of the Church of Rome and he is perswaded in his mind that the Laws and Customs of that Church are in force against him and that he is under an obligation to observe them For me to go about to teach him otherwise and reprove his practices this would grieve him and I should walk uncharitably towards him in so doing yea verily I should put a stumbling-block in his way and tempt him to forbear that practice against his Conscience and in so doing I should sin against Christ and destroy a Brother for whom Christ died This I ought not to do and tho I be otherwise perswaded in my own Judgment and ordained and put in trust to teach the Gospel yet I must herein follow the advice of the Apostle Hast thou Faith have it to thy self before God I will therefore accordingly resolve to keep my Faith and Opinion to my self and not disturb a weak Brother and so the poor man must perish if God be not the more merciful unto him in his Error and Superstition Whereas the good Pastor does otherwise He tells him Sir you live in a dangerous Error and tho the times you observe and the meats you eat be very indifferent in themselves yet your practice in the use of them is very Superstitious contrary to the Laws and Privileges of the Gospel and the practice of Christ
the progress of the Gospel amongst them in the very infancy of it And wanting Church-Governors with a secular Arm to assist them nothing was able to extinguish their dissentions and bring them to a quiet settlement till the fulness of Apostolical Authority with the power of Miracles should come among them as shall be declared hereafter But our Reconciler tells us 't is the perpetual Duty of the highest Christians to follow after the things which make for Peace and whereby they may edify one another This we can easily grant him but as Theodoret observes the Apostle Ad Rom. 15. 4. does not pray for their peace indefinitely and absolutely but 't is an honest and pious Consent and Concord that he wisheth them according to the example of Jesus Christ Has not God given us Guides and are not we bound to follow peace after their direction and example Have not they a command as well as a power Heb. 13. 7 17. to set things in Order to make Decrees and Ordinances for the establishment of Peace and Unity and are not these the means to promote Edification Did not S. Paul himself carry about such Decrees to be kept of the Churches where he went and were not those Churches established in the Faith thereupon and increased in their numbers as well as in their piety by that means Acts 16. 4 5. These are truths that are evident of themselves and owned by the Learned of all Perswasions the Ordering and Appointment of honest and decent Rites See the Verdict p. according to the word of God makes much for the preservation of Discipline and to strengthen the bond of Peace saith David Rungius and Calvin himself Hereupon we find that the great Apostle made Ordinances of the like nature which are called Traditions and they were about things indifferent of no absolute necessity but only for decency such as the Womans Vail in publick 1 Cor. 11. 2. Assemblies And such as did observe those Ordinances he commends but 2 Thes 3. 6 14. such as did neglect them he does severely censure And tho he was gentle as a Nurse to cherish his children in the Faith yet did he exercise the Authority of a Father too in charging and 1 Thes 2. 7 11. commanding them to observe his Discipline And let this Reconciler or any of the Dissenters whose Cause he Pleads prove that ever the liberty of such Children was allowed either by Christ or his Apostles to overtop or check the Authority of such a Father and I will yield the Cause In the mean while Dr. Womock keeps his Ground viz. That this was only a Temporary provision to keep the Peace among private Christians and hereupon the Reconciler requires him to prove that the things above-mentioned Rom. 14. were only Temporary and that Church-Governors are now at liberty to walk uncharitably towards the weak and to destroy the work of God for meat and drink and we are satisfied Here we are called upon to prove two things and I am afraid the last will prove him to be a Sophister But we shall attempt to prove the first That those things were only Temporary 'T is the express affirmation of Aretius Ad Rom. 15. that these Roman Christians having no Ordinary Governor the Apostle shews private men the way which they should walk in as was observed formerly And Ad Rom. 14. And Beza observes Apostolum non praecipere ut ejusmodl ignorantia foveatur sed duntaxat ut tuleretur tantisper dum isti possint erudiri Ad Rom. 14. 2. When they became stubborn and indocible They were rejected that the provision was but for a time is the express Doctrine of Hemmingius Aliquid ad tempus Fratrum infirmitati largiendum est Something is to be allowed for a time to the infirmity of our Brethren secus de obstinatis pertinacibus judicandum est but we must determine otherwise of the obstinate and stubborn He speaks of weak Christians which he supposes to be in every particular Church in these days but if care were duly taken to Catechise our Youth and to instruct them in the Principles of Acts 13. 46. Christianity touching Authority and Liberty according to the truth of the Gospel as S. Paul calls it this kind of Intellectual Rickets and the weakness that follows it would be perfectly corrected in our Minority and we should never infest the Church with our frowardness upon that account But my task is to prove that the Directions which the Apostle gives to those Christians at Rome had a peculiar reference 1. To that present time 2. To some special things and 3. To that Critical Dispensation 1. To that present time and he that will take the pains to consider the Case can never be perswaded that such cautions and directions as were given to Jews or Gentil-Converts in reference purely to those Federal Rites of the respective Institutions to which they had so lately been accustomed He I say can never be convinced that they do lay any obligation upon such as were bred up in Christianity from their Cradles But that these cautions were calculated for that present time we have reason to believe upon farther evidence 1. The Apostle in his great prudence was wont to make such Temporary 1 Cor. 7. 26. provisions such was his advice about Virgins I suppose saith he this is good for the present distress not that Marriage was a more impure state of Life but to avoid the difficulties and molestations of it Single persons were in a better condition more prompt and easie to grapple with Persecutions which in those days did more frequently afflict the Professors of the Gospel The Apostle has an eye to the like Rom. 12. 11. difficulties among the Romans and therefore he enjoyns them to be fervent in Spirit serving the season For many Copies See Dr. Hammond his note on the place and Dr. Stearne Aphoris de felicitate §. 2. Aphor. 22. read the Text so and therefore Dr. Hammond doth thus Paraphrase the Text Doing those things that in respect of the Circumstances of time and place wherein now you are may most tend to the honour of God and building up of the Church And S. Ambrose descants very well upon the place lest they should unseasonably press matters of Religion in an evil time whereby they might raise up Scandal therefore he subjoyns this caution serving the time The great matters of Faith and Religion Ambros ad Rom. 12. he would have them discoursed of modestly and discreetly in a fit time and in a convenient place and among fit Persons For there are som esaith he even among our selves in times of Peace The Epist for the 2d Sunday after the Epiphany in the old Liturgy read it so who do so abhor the way of Christ that they can no sooner hear but they will Blaspheme it And S. Paul himself made it his practice sometimes to apply himself to the
season and to do that which otherwise he had no inclination to do For he Circumcised Timothy unwillingly and shaving his head he purified himself according to the Law and went up to the Temple Vt Judaeorum sopiret insaniam that he might appease the Rage of the Jews And what have we been doing these twenty years but serving the time by Clemency and Condescention to gratifie an unsteady Faction whom nothing can oblige And no doubt S. Paul had an eye to the circumcumstance of time and the difficulty as well as the inconveniency of making a peremptory Order for them in this Case when he wrote that Epistle as shall be shewed 2. I am induced to believe this was but a Temporary provision because it was upon the account of Novices in the Faith as all the Antients do unanimously observe 'T was in Favour of such as had newly embraced the Gospel wherefore he would not have the strong Christians who understood the liberty of their Christianity to entangle the weak by intricate disputations which might provoke them unto Apostacy but charitably to bear with them for a time and that as a condescention which argues not a Law and stedfast Constitution but as they call it a Dispensation * Ita Chrysostomus simulaâ—ionem Petri saepius Dispensationem appellavit ad Gal. 2. Theodoret. Theophilact Ad Rom. 14. Whereupon even where he sollicits this Indulgence on their behalfs to prevent a Relapse he blames their Ignorance discovers the soft and tender part and lays open the Sore and gently drops in his Medicinal Wine and Oyl The observation is quick and very material That while he seems to chide the strong in the Faith under pretence of that freedom of Speech to them He turns all his Correption and Reproof upon the weak For in calling them weak he declares them to be valetudinary and when he bids the stronger Christians to receive to help and succour them it argues he thought they stood in need of a Keeper and good Remedies which is a certain Indication of a Distemper and a Mental Craziness so far was the Apostle from encouraging them as this Reconciler doth to continue and become obstinate in their weakness For tho he would have them treated like Babes while they were so Yet he would not have them be Babes always but to be men in understanding and to put away childish things 1 Cor. 3. 1. Heb. 5. 11 12. 3. If these directions given to the Christians at Rome were not temporary the Apostle contradicted his own Doctrine for in setled Churches afterwards He was so far from prescribing forbearance of Meats or the observation Gal. 4. 10 11. Chap. 5. 4. Col. 2. 8 16 21. of Jewish Festivals that he severely condemns them yea as Superstitious and destructive of Salvation as this Reconciler does observe when he finds occasion pag. 80. to forget his own hypothesis 4. That they were but Temporary is the Judgment of the Fathers and the most Learned Modern Writers The Verdict has mentioned Matthisius Estius our Synopsis and Mr. Perkins who saith expresly that Commandment Rom. 14. 22. was given by Paul for those times when men were not fully perswaded of the use of Gods Creatures as meats and drinks c. But to these Cum enim perfectam fidem 〈◊〉 non haberet infirmus se eâ— rum Esu pollcredebat Thâ— Ad Reâ— times it is not given 2. I say the Apostles Directions had reference to some special things forbidden by the Law of Moses 1. For the difference among those Christians ad Rom. 14. grew upon the account of a distinction betwixt things Clean and Vnclean as the Apostle declares expresly Rom. 14. 14 and mens minds being framed to practise according to that Notion they still disputed the Custom when the distinction was taken away not understanding fully the Priviledge of the Gospel 2. The Antients do restrain the matters in debate to the prohibitions of the Law so Theophilact seeing God Theoph. ad Rom. 14. hath bestowed his ineffable Grace upon the Gentils why do'st thou still contend with them about the Law 'T is manifest saith S. Ambrose that all things are clean through the grace of Christ who freeing us from the yoak of the Law hath restored the former Ambros ad Rom. 14. Ca. 48. P. Martyr state of Liberty So that we are now in a capacity to use all creatures as the Saints of old were wont to do But for such as are still in bondage under the Law it is not Lawful for them to eat or to do what the Law forbids Quia indulgentiam datam spernunt Because they despise the priviledge of the Gospel His multitude of quotations is to little purpose in this case rightly stated For 4. I dare be bold to say that not one of the Ancient Fathers ever applied that discourse of the Apostle to the prejudice of Authority in ordaining Rites and matters of Decency in Gods Service Did not all the Fathers he alledges Bow Kneel wear a Surplice sign with the Cross Yes and would have spit in his face that should have offered to dispute so general a practice of the whole Church His quoting their Authority in this case is therefore trifling and designed to impose upon the Reader or else he is deluded himself by a Fanatic Zeal and vain Imagination And if old Father Gregory were alive he would make as sharp an Invective against him for this as he did against Julian upon another account And I have observed particularly Vide Epist 119 that St. Austin when he complains of the multitude and burden of Ceremonies which were crept into some particular Churches yet he never dream'd that St. Paul had condemned any of them by a Spirit of Prophesie in that Epistle to the Romans Nay he saith plainly that the forbidding of meats as unclean was Heretical and so declared and condemned by the Apostle 1 Tim. 4. which is directly contrary to the opinion and practice of those weak ones whom the same Apostle favours Rom. 14. and therefore the Rules he lays down in that Chapter can be no more than temporary unless we will be so bold with the great Apostle as to make him forget and contradict himself 4. Let me put the Case home to our Reconciler and his beloved the Dissenters if they claim a title to the Apostles Indulgence Rom. 14. in their refusal or forbearance of those things which are enjoyned by Authority Then they must look upon those things as common and unclean for that is the very case the Apostle speaks to Rom. 14. 14. If they esteem them unclean which signifies nothing but unlawful that must be either according to Moses's Law or according to the Gospel If they go according to Moses Law they run into Judaism and Superstition and tempt God as this Reconciler confesseth p. 75. and in effect deny that Judaism is abolished and hath given place to Christianity if they pretend to
Reward through their vain traditions touch not tast not handle Colos 2. Iâ—ridens contemnens superstitiosam persuasionem in persona pseudapostolorum ait Ne tetigeris quasi dicat si secus audeas eris immundus apud Deum efficieris Damnationis reus Hyper. ad Col. 2. Gal. 2. not And Gal. 4. 4. Ye observe days and months and times and years I am afraid of you lest I have bestowed upon you labour in vain Was not the Apostle so earnest and positive herein that he threatned the Dissenters as Disturbers of the Church and tells them That they should bear their judgment and wisheth them cut off Gal. 5. Did he not withstand St. Peter to the face because he was to be blamed and why was it not because he did not walk uprightly according to the truth of the Gospel and was not all this contest upon the account of the difference betwixt the Jew and Gentile Christians was the Apostle thus positive did he use such Menaces did he give such warning in his Epistle to the Romans If not why does this Reconciler say that if those Rules were but a provision till the Apostles had made a more perfect determination then they were not to be observed at all was not Ignorance and Superstition as dangerous to the Christians at Rome as to those at Coloss and Galatia Are they at Rome indulged to live therein always when these at Coloss and Galatia are threatned and in danger to fall from Grace and be lost by it But for the present as the Gentile Converts had great assurance of their immunity from the Law of Moses so those of the Jews were under great prejudices through their veneration for it And the Impostors and false Teachers headed perhaps by Simon Magus who See Dr. Ham. Annotat. on the Title of the Epistle to the Romans towards the end had the reputation of a God among the Romans were so subtile and powerful with the Heathen Magistrate that a peremptory order from the Apostle if such a one had been sent especially having no Governor to enforce it in all probability could have taken no effect The Apostle therefore defers this great work as he did the setling of some such matters in other Churches 1 Cor. 11. last till his own coming with the fulness of Apostolical Power and the gift of Miracles to encounter all the opposition of the Enemy In the mean while having felt in himself such an experiment of mercy for the things which he had done in his ignorance and unbelief 1 Tim. 1. 13. He was well perswaded that the same Divine Goodness which for a time prefers a mistaken Zeal before a deliberate Interea vero tamet si opinio quidem sit superstitiosa tamen observatio Deo non displicet quando infirmus sapienter cavet ne quid dubitante conscientia facere aggrediatur Hyper. ad Rom. 15. in principio Prophaness would be pleased to wink at that time of the Romans Ignorance and Superstition till he should vouchsafe to afford a Dispensation sufficient to cure the Distempers which did afflict them And to allay and be-calm their Animosities he forbids all uncharitable altercations and to prevent Apostacy from the Faith he prescribes Lenitives Condescention and gentle usage lest they should be tempted to forsake the Profession of Christianity through the asperity of severe Censures and spiteful provocations from their equals and such as had no Authority to Govern them This I say was a Temporary provisision but he promises them a more perfect redress and settlement in a short time and then he would determine and settle the Case and those differences de Facto Rom. 16. 20. The God of Peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly By Satan here he means the false Apostles and Impostors which were so great Instruments of Satan that he gives them his name with the Factious and Turbulent Dissenters which were led by them so Interpreters do generally unstand it Non solum immittentes offendicula Oecum Theod. Theophilact Lap. ex Chryso Bullinger conteret sed ipsumillorum Ducem Satanam Insidiatorum magistrum Dissentiones vestras cum suo Principo Nec eos modo qui dissidia moliuntur sed horum etiam Praefectum Ducem commoliatur per Satanam intelligit omnem vim adversariam Christo Evangelio ejus sive sint Pseudapostoli sive Tyranni Thus seveveral Expositors comment upon the words The History of those times tells us that the Faction was so impetuous and turbulent that Claudius in the ninth Year of his Reign was provoked to put forth an Edict to banish them out of Rome Claudius Judaeos impulsore Chresto Acts 18. 2. assidue tumultuantes Româ expulit saith Suetonius and Josephus to the same purpose Anno ejusdem imperatoris nono expulsos per Claudium Judaeos refert and taking the Jews and Christians to be of the same Religion he banish'd them all together There was little hopes therefore that the order of a Person at a distance who had never been amongst them should be of any force to quell such Heads of the Faction or to remove their prejudices so as to unite them in the same belief and practice aso t these matters But the Apostle foretold and promised that this should be done shortly and how was that Shortly Hoc de adventu suo dicit He speaks this of his own coming to them saith St. Ambrose If a question should arise how this could be effected when it was thought that his Letters were more prevalent than his personal presence 2 Cor. 10. 10. This is answered by Interpreters That God Almighty would assist him against the power of all Impostors and Deceivers whom he calls Satan for the opposition they made against Christ and his Gospel And that at the Apostles coming among them This Satan this Adversary De la Cerda power should be conquered and laid prostrate under their feet And this the Apostle might very well promise without boasting upon the account of that power which Christ did bestow upon his Apostles a power to tread upon Serpents and Scorpions and all the power of the Enemy Luke 10. And so Aretius saith as the opinion of many Interpreters Vbi ad vos venero per gratiam Dei efficietur ut iste Satan Impostor prodatur confundatur meâ praesentia conculcabitur When I come unto you by the Grace of God it shall come to pass that Satan that Impostor shall be discovered and confounded he shall be trodden under foot by my presence For a proof of this we have the Apostles own asseveration Rom. 15. 29. And I am sure that when I come unto you I shall come in the fulness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ This is an intimation of the abundant gifts of the Holy Ghost whereby he should be inabled to confound the Ministers of Dissention and confirm the true Disciples Benedictio Ambrose autem haec signorum
usque procedit pervicacia ut quispiam sibi addictus vel discessionem faciat a Corpore vel a grege quosdam subtrahat vel impediat sanae Doctrinae cursum hic strenue obviandum est When the Obstinacy proceeds so far that a man enamour'd of himself departs from the Body of the Church or draws others from it or hinders the Course of sound Doctrine in this case a strenuous Opposition is to be made against him In summa In short sayes Calvin Haeresis vel secta ecclesiae unitas res sunt inter se oppositae Heresie or Schism and the Unity of the Church are things opposite and this Unity being so precious in the sight of God it ought also to be in the highest esteem with us and those Sects and Heresies ought to be no less detested Thus Calvin He that contemns all Admonitions saith Hyperius He that is distempered in his mind incurabili laborat contagio and when he is sick of an incurable Contagion refuses and derides the Remedy that is charitably offer'd to him This is the Party affected And how is he to be treated Must the Bishop flatter him Or is the Bishop alone obliged to avoid him No saith Hyperius the Bishop is to admonish Hyperius others to beware of him as a pernicious Wolf But what is the Civil Magistrate concerned herein Why sayes Aretius the Charge is here given to Titus who wanted a faithful Magistrate to assist Aretius him But doubtless St. Paul would have wrote otherwise to the Magistrate or to Titus if he had had such a faithful Magistrate to take care of Gods Church He speakes here of the Bishops Office how far he may how far in Duty he ought to proceed We now understand saith Mr. Calvin whom the Apostle means by a Heretick but we are not to determine who is such a Heretick or to reject him till we have first indeavoured to reduce him to a sound Judgment He must have a first and second Admonition not from Private Persons but from the Publick Authority and Ministry of the Church for the Words of the Apostle do import thus much Graviter quasi censoria correctione reprimendos esse That such Persons are sharply to be restrained by the Rod of Discipline for he is condemned of himself because being so Hyperius carefully instructed and so frequently admonished He has no body to impute his condemnation to but to himself and his own Malice But may we proceed no further against such Sectaries and Disturbers of the Churches Peace and Settlement They that think so do not argue to the purpose saith Mr. Calvin For the Bishop and the Magistrate have their several parts assigned them in this Work And St. Paul writing to Titus does not discourse of the Magistrates Duty but what is incumbent upon the Bishop What the Judgment of the most Learned and Pious Protestants was a Hundred years agoe I shall give you Ad Titum 3. 10 11. the account from Bullinger to whom Hyperius also refers his Reader That Bullinger was a man of so great Esteem that his Decades were translated into English and thought fit to be read in the Publick Congregations where they wanted able Preachers and this Doctrine of his passed for Currant till the Socinian Heresy which does so much impreach the Satisfaction Merits and Divinity of our Saviour prevail'd so much among us And this has hapned because the Canons of 1640. were not duely enforced to prevent the growth of it But to return to the business in hand I shall give the sence of Bullinger in Hen. Bullinger Commentar in omnes Pauli Epistolas a clear Translation of his own Commentary upon the Text which begins thus Quaerat aliquis quid agam cum eo c. Some perhaps may ask what I would do with Him that obeyes not Tiguri 1582. Hic Ad Titum 3. 10 11. the Truth but continues to be contentious and to stir up Faction The Apostle answers after the first and second Admonition if he will not obey your advice take heed and separate your self from such an hopeless Deplorato But adding the Reason why he commands Us to abbor the Communion and Fellowship of such an Heretick He sayes He that is such a one as will not admit of good Advice is rather exasperated by continual Admonitions and can never be brought to embrace the Truth For a simple Errour is quickly healed but Stubborness is uncurable But such a Man is subverted by Prejudice and therefore swerves from the true Faith and being intangled in Perplexity he remains in invincible Ignorance Hereupon Theophylact explaining these words sayes The Apostle understands by an Heretick an incorrigible Fellow and one that is on every side so entangled with Difficulties that He knows not which way to free himself Therefore such a One will never be perswaded to embrace the Truth but rather attempt to draw his Charitable Adviser into his own Opinion Wherefore here is a great deal of Danger but little Hope For when Hereticks are so wicked and hardned in those Things which are manifestly False there 's none or very small Hopes of their recovering nay on the contrary it oftentimes happens That they impose upon him who advises them if weak though otherwise a good honest Man Therefore He advisedly commands that they should be avoided But some perhaps will Object That it is a sad thing if we should thus neglect the Sheep that is gone astray our Lord did not so it 's to be feared his Destruction will be required at our Hands The Apostle answers If such a Man Perish he perisheth not by your Fault but by his own for Why did he not obey his Teacher Moreover they that gather from hence That it is against the Scriptures for the Civil Magistrate to restrain Hereticks that is to say not only such as are perverted from the Faith but such as Study to pervert others They do not consider That the Apostle here doth not Dispute about the Offices of a Lawful Magistrate but what the Bishop should do For in these and other of the Apostle's Prescriptions the Occasion is to be consider'd But they 'l say The Apostle's Command is Not Compel or Kill but avoid an Heretick It 's very true For no Man is rashly to be Condemned or Rejected but rather to be Endeared and Instructed This is the peculiar Work of Bishops But if after such an amicable and endearing Treatment and Admonition he refuseth to Repent and endeavours still to draw whole Multitudes into the same Sedition and Ruine with himself Here again it is the Bishops concern not only to Oppose that setitious Doctrine and Practice but also to lay down his Life for the Sheep against the assaults and incursions of such Wolves to defend and preserve his Flock with the Sword of Truth and manfully to Repel and Subdue them If the Apostle had written an Epistle to Cornelius or Sergius and had inform'd them of
the Church for a perfect Cure that is in plain English I will tell our Dissenters that we are not under the Law but under Grace that the Rites and Ceremonies of Moses's Institution are out of Date and that under the dispensation of the Gospel there is nothing Common or Vnclean and Consequently nothing Scandalous but sin or that which has some notable Appearance of it That to such as have put themselves under Christs Discipline there is nothing can affect or Defile the Conscience but what is Acted or Omitted contrary to his Holy Laws and Institutions that among the rest of his Institutions he has Ordained Ministers to Order and Conduct us in his stead whose Faith and Practice we are therefore obliged to follow knowing that the End of their Conversation is the Salvation of our Souls Having thus instructed them with all Meekness and warn'd them to receive these things without Partiality I have discharged my Duty and delivered my own Soul After this Christian Condescention if a pretended Weak Brother will be peevish and Disobedient if He will be Singular and forsake his Lawful-Pastour if he will take offence which I have faithfully endeavor'd to prevent and go to Hell of his own Head because I wear a Surplice as the Badge of my Office in my Administration about Holy Things I have done no more than what becomes my Function if he will Perish his Blood must be upon his own head Again if he will be Peevish and Disobedient if he will be singular and forsake his Lawful Pastour if he will take offence and go to Hell because I sign my Child with the Sign of the Cross as the Badge of my own Christianity and as an Item to him of his Duty and Allegiance to his Crucified Redeemer I have done nothing but what does very well become my Christian Profession If he will perish in his Folly his Blood must be upon his own head I shall speak but this once more if he will be Peevish and Disobedient if he will be singular and forsake his Lawful Guide or Pastour if he will take offence and go to Hell because I fall upon my knees to say my Prayers to bewail my sins to Receive a Benediction and to adore my ever Blessed God and Saviour I have done no more than what becomes me for such invalueable Obligations if he will dye in his wretched Schism I am innocent his Blood will be upon his own head This Fraternal Admonition and Advice is what I Lawfully may do but if Men will make occasions to themselves in their own Imaginations and then take offence at them who can help it But this will not satisfie our Reconciler I know very well what he would be at The Governours must repeal their Laws and abate their Impositions or all is nothing Amesius saies All things are to be done or omitted without sin This he saies is the Obligation of Charity to avoid Scandal But he means Scandalum Pusillorum the Scandal of the Weak or Little Ones Not such Scandal as is taken by men of a Pharisaical temper When the Apostle was reported to affirm that we might do Evil to a good End He took it for a foul slander and saies Their Damnation is Just who practice such a Principle Works under Precept are not to be omitted to avoid scandal because every man as he is bound to love himself before another so is he obliged to avoid Sin in himself rather than in Another Are not Governours under the Obligation of that Rule Let all things be done Decently and in Order 'T is a part of the Governours Office doubtless to Establish Good Order For this Cause left Tit. 1. 5. I thee in Crete saies St. Paul That thou shouldest set in order the Things that are wanting This was the Burthen and Charge the Apostle laid upon Titus Vt Ecclesiis nondum rite compositis formam daret ut certam Politiciae rationem una cum Disciplina constitueret That he might Form and Fashion the Churches which were not yet well Composed and constitute a certain State and Manner of Policy with Discipline therein To that end Titus was setled there saies Calixtus that he might supply whatsoever was wanting that might conduce to the Conservation External Regiment and Ornament of the Church This is one Command that lyes upon the Person of the Governour and there 's another that lies upon him too not peculiarly as a Governour but as a Christian in General Rom. 4. 15 Let every Man be fully perswaded in his own Mind Is it not the Governours Duty to set things in Order in God's Church as the Apostle enjoynes and to be fully perswaded in his own Mind that he does well in it Shall he break God's Commands Shall he betray his Trust Shall he act against his own Practicall Judgment and Conscience He that can allow a Governour to do this may make a Ghostly Father for the Devil But he that sayes the Governour ought not to neglect his Duty or to betray his Trust or to go against his own Mind and Conscience he must lay his hand upon his Mouth and never move either for a Repeal or for an Abatement of the Laws in favour of Dissenters 'T is the Observation of Johannes Crocius Ad Tit. 3. 9. Loc. Com. 7. De Content N. 6. That they who under a Pretence of avoiding Contention do Transact with the Adverse Party unjustly contending to the Prejudice of Truth Or Disserting the Good Cause do comply too much with them they understand not the mind of the Apostle Tho he would have us cut off Foolish and Vain Questions yet he would not have us to forsake or Betray the Truth to avoid Contention In this case the Publick Benefit is to be considered but when any sort of Peace is purchased by the Loss of a Precious Truth that 's not to be accounted a Publick benefit for as Peace gain'd by such unjust means is Uncertain and Doubtful so there ever follows a certain Perturbation of Conscience an offence of God a scandal of Good Men the mourning of the Faithful great sadness of the whole Church lastly Multipli'd Punishments in this and the other World inflicted by Almighty God who indeed is the God of Peace and yet he is the Prime Verity and his Spirit the Spirit of Truth who never said Love Peace without Truth But Love the Truth and Zach. 8. 19. Peace together For the Collectors of the Tribute supposing he doth not mistake the Story I Answer 1. They were not so apt to Cavil as our Dissenters They did not question the Coyn or quarrel'd because it was taken out of the Fishes Mouth or that Peter had taken Pains to Angle for it 2. Christ tho he wrought a Miracle did not break a Law to gratifie their Demand as the Reconciler would have us do 3. Tho Christ had a Divine Prerogative that might exempt him from that Tribute yet that was not Commonly known
Martyr in 1 Sam. 2. 25. much more when God calls by whom Kings Reign and Princes Decree Justice and to protect Offenders against his Publick and Solemn Worship may peradventure be some inconsiderate Pitty but Mercy it cannot be In His Answer to another Argument as he calls it I must observe many things First the Distinction between Natural and Christian Liberty He found in the Verdict pag. 125. and I am apt to believe he took it upon Trust from thence because I have not observed him so skilful or ingenious as to use Distinctions when there was just Cause for it and because he takes it up here Impertinently for no Reason in the World but to Cavil at it and that he does Twice for failing Secondly Whereas he saith the Dissenters pag. 160. would put no restraint upon others as to the Ceremonies in Contest but only crave a Freedom or Indulgence to themselves herein I believe as we say he Reckons without his Host No man that has read their Books or observed their Practice or seen their Publick Ordinances can believe it And I doubt whether upon Second Thoughts the Reconciler will believe it himself In their Ordinance of January 1644 the Presbyterian Lords and Commons did declare That they judged it necessary that the Book of Common-Prayer be abolished and the Directory for the publick Worship of God establish't and observed in all the Churches within this Kingdom And August the 29. 1648. They Ordain'd that all Parishes and Places whatsoever within the Kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales as well Priviledg'd Places and exempt Jurisdictions as others be brought under the Government of Congregational Classical Provincial and National Assemblies Provided that the Chappel or places in the House of the King and his Children and the Chappels or place in the Houses of the Peers of this Realm shall continue free for the Exercises of Divine Duties according to the Directory and not otherwise Thirdly His Answer is in Effect no Answer at all For he sayes First the Argument it self pleads strongly upon the Principles acknowledged in it against the Impositions of Superiours and even against all Vowes made by us concerning any thing indifferent For both these things do put a Necessary Abstention Restraint upon us as to the use of these things If therefore sayes he by so doing they betray our Liberties Dissenters ought not to yield to them nor should good Christians by a Vow restrain themselves from the Free use of things Indifferent Secondly He sayes the Argument is Evidently Contradictor both to the Doctrine and Practice of St. Paul In Answer to which I must observe that he still abuses his Reader-by his Sophistry how else could he bring in Personal Vows c. into his Answer Among Orthodox-Divines who hath ever Questioned whether a man that is Compos Mentis might not restrain his own Liberty and that as well by a Solemn Vow as a Prudent Resolution Or who ever denied the Power of Governours The not useing of our Christian Liberty renders us not the worse and therefore we may Lawfully not use it when by Superiours we are restrained from the use thereof Prot. Recon p. 131. to restrain the Liberty of such as are under their Jurisdiction Tho he 's confident enough to give the Lye to any thing yet I hope he will not charge the Rechabites with Folly nor their Father with Superstition And if the Sons did add their own Vow to their Fathers Command I know no harm in it I 'me sure God does highly approve of their strict Obedience to the Imposition of things Indifferent But to return and shew that the Reconcilers Answer is Trifling and Impertinent not contradicting Meisners Argument This I prove by Argumentum ad Hominem in this manner That Argument which Pleads strongly against the Impositions of Superiours that Argument the Reconciler does not contradict But Meisners Argument pleads strongly against the Impositions of Superiours Ergo. The Major is evident because the Reconciler himself pleads as strongly as he can against the Impositions of Superiours therefore he does not contradict Meisners Argument which he saies pleads so strongly against them the Minor is the Recomilers own Acknowledgment as the Reader may observe in his Words above mentioned 2ly The Reconciler contradicts himself and yeilds the Cause to his Adversary this is Evident to the Indifferent Reader for if Meisners Argument is evidently contradictory both to the Doctrine and Practice of St. Paul as he saies it is Page 161. then the Argument which pleads strongly against the Impositions of Superiours is Contradictory both to the Doctrine and Practice of St. Paul and consequently both the Doctrine and Practice of St. Paul are for the Impositions of Superiours which is the thing we contend for Here he inculcates again the Necessity of abstaining from some Meats and the observing some Dayes for fear of offending the Weak Brethren Indeed the Apostle's expression runs very high of not eating Flesh which is one of Rom. 14. 21. 1 Cor. 8. 13. his two Instances But does he say the same things of the Time of God's Worship Does he say it is good noâ— to Regard a day to the Lord whereby my Brother Stumbleth or is Offended or made Weak Wherefore if a day make my Brother to Offend I will never regard a day never observe the Lords day never Perform any Solemn Worship or Service to Almighty God while the World stands least I make my Brother to offend To take up such a Resolution savourâ—â— of too much Prophaneness to be Justified and this I hope will convince the Reconciler that in the Parallel Instance of Meats the Apostle was a little Hyperbolical as was formerly observed After a great deal of shuffling and trifling for two or three Pages together to no purpose but to make a Noise and show his Confidence he owns the Pag. 163. Truth at last that the Apostle came to a Point and Positively declar'd against Circumcision when the False-Teachers would have obtruded it as Necessary to Salvation And whatsoever his Practice was out of Condescention and special Dispensation while the Church was any where in Planting yet its evident where ever the Church was Organized and setled with Governours Laws and Discipline There he gave severe Rules as well against those Jewish Dissenters as the False Apostles which seduced them This is easy to be observed in his Epistles to the Corinthians the Galatians and Colossians Nay he commands the Governours of the Church to stop their Mouths who attempted to corrupt the Hyperius Calixtus ad Tit. 1. 11. Simplicity of the Gospel by joyning their Traditions Distinction of â—â—eats and Legal Ceremonies with it And St. Augustine saies expresly that the Opinion Epist 119. that some Meats would render them Unclean that eat them was against the Faith and sound Doctrine and he proves it to be wicked and Heretical from the words of St. Paul to Timothy
Suffragium Protestantium Wherein Our GOVERNOURS ARE Justifyed In Their Impositions and Proceedings Against Dissenters Meisner also and the Verdict rescued from the Cavils and Seditious Sophistry of the Protestant Reconciler By Dr. LAURENCE WOMOCK Arch-Deacon of Suffolk Col. 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc dico Ne quis vobis imponat Oratione speciosa Per falsas Ratiocinationes Sive ex malitia sive ex Inscitia Id Fiat London Printed for Robert Clavel at the Peacock in St. Pauls Church-yard 1683. A Special Verdict Against the PROTESTANT RECONCILER S. Paul foretold that after his departure grievous Wolves should enter in with a design and malice not to spare but to devour the Flock these were Wolves in Sheeps cloathing whose business was to steal to kill and to destroy but these were not all and perhaps not the most pernicious of the Churches Enemies He foretells further that also of your own selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw Disciples after them And this Prophecy is fulfilled in our Reconciler For among others he is risen up with his perverse Principles to make and engage a Party Had he intended the satisfaction or information of his Superiors his Duty would have prompted him to have presented his Papers humbly into their hands and with a modest submission to have expected the result of their wise Councils But a Noverint Vniversi was fitter to carry on his popular Design and to caress his dear Vain-glory. He should have come in the Spirit of Elias to turn the hearts of the Fathers unto the Children the Holy Fathers Mind and Principles their Faith and Affections into the Children and the Disobedient to the Wisdom of the Just That what the Fathers have believed and practised â— L. Brug ad â—uc 1. 17. Paul de Palatiâ— in Mal. 4. 6. the Children may also embrace and follow He could have told them that Christ having assured his Disciples that God who hears the Addresses of His Church he streightly commands them also to hear Her upon pain of forfeiting Her which is the same with His Blessing being deservedly for their contumacy in their Disobedience turned out of Her Communion as Publicans and Heathens He might have been pleased to take notice how Christ resolves the case of Conscience about the Tythe of Mint and Cummin and the weightier matters of the Law saying unto such as were concerned to be well informed These things Matth. 23. 23. ought ye to have done and not to have left the other undone How Christ observed not only the service solemnly established but such Customs and Festivals as had no divine Institution laying down this for a Rule of Conscience Thus it behoves us to fulfill all Righteousness He might have put them in mind as Matth. 3. 15. Tit. 3. 1. St. Paul exhorts to be subject to Principalities and Powers and to obey their Spiritual Guides in their Conduct and to submit to their Orders in regard that Heb. 13. 7. 17. 1 Cor. 14. the spirit of the very Prophets ought to be subject to the greater authority of the Prophets He knows very well that we ought not to be contentious about the Customs and Practices of the Church when they do not supersede the Commands of God nor interfere with them That the Governors of the Church have a great Authority from our Lord and are intrusted in his stead to set things in Order for Edification and Decency in Gods public Worship and Service And when they have done this with great prudence and deliberation that the subjects are to do their duty without murmuring or disputing and to honour such their Governors very highly for their work-sake If not he could have informed his Readers That Christ hath furnisht those Governors with the power of the Keys to shut the door as well as to open it with a Rod for Discipline Authority to mark and censure to admonish and rebuke sharply to stop their mouths who speak preverse things and to reject them from the Communion of Christ's Church if they will neither obey her commands nor regard her admonitions Are they not entrusted by our Lord to make Orders for Discipline and to take the measures of Decency by their own Judgment and Prudence and when they have estabished all things to God's Glory the Peace and Edification of the Church is it our Duty to follow our Guides or to controul them to confront our Governors or to obey them When a difference arose betwixt the Jews and Gentile Converts 't was thought the most prudent and likely Way to compose it to have recourse to Acts 15. Acts 16. 4. the Apostles and Elders about it and the Holy Ghost did assist them in the Decision and S. Paul himself carried about the Decrees to be kept But our Reconciler takes another course to buoy up a sinking Cause and Faction He Censures all the Governors of Church and State decrys their Impositions and directly quarrels their Authority Yet 't was the Resolution of the Brittish Acta Synod in jol De aequitate Decreti Synodici pag. 139. Divines at the Synod of Dort In adiaphoris Supremus Magistratus vice Dei ostendit quid expedit decet The Supreme Magistrate declares in God's stead what is decent and expedient in things indifferent This the whole Synod assented to and by this Rule they justified their Proceedings against the Remonstrants And if the pretence of Christian Liberty be allowed to retrench the Kings Prerogative in Church-matters 't will soon follow the Pope's Practice in Ordine ad Spiritualia and invade his Authority in Temporals All times have afforded examples of turbulent Spirits who thought their Christian Liberty could not consist without the downfall of the Civil Power That their Religion did exempt them from all the Laws and Ordinances of men and gave them a Priviledge to oppose and banish the very Office of the Magistrate from among Argument Ep. ad Rom. 6. Ad Rom. 13. them This Calvin as well as Bullinger has observed And Gualter tells us that the Jews elated with the conceit of their Ancient Dignity took it in great disdain that the Posterity of Abraham Eâ— ad Rom. 13. and the Elect people of God should be in Subjection to the Romans wherefore they made frequent Insurrections to recover their Ancient Liberty and 〈◊〉 had not quite cast off these Principles of Sedition when they embraced the 〈◊〉 of the Gospel Many also of the 〈◊〉 did with no less impaâ—â—â—â—e bear the Yoak of such as were the Professed Enemies of Christ and 〈◊〉 Gospel And 〈◊〉 these a sort of subtil 〈◊〉 did insinuate themselves and having 〈◊〉 the Grace of God into 〈◊〉 that they might enjoy 〈◊〉 câ—rnal satisfactions with the greater license and impunity as St. Jude ob 〈…〉 they made it their business to â—bolish Government By this means the Christian Religion 〈…〉 among such as were in Authority as the Parent and Breeder of Tumults
their own the Princes thought it high time when they had unmasq'd their hypocrisie to lay aside their own compassion and kindness and to deal with them according to their deserts at the rate of head-strong and sturdy Rebels But from the Persons he pleads for under the feigned notion of weak Brethren whose pulse and temper we may be called upon to feel and examine a little more precisely hereafter let us pass on to consider the things he pleads against as things indifferent whihc he thinks to be no less imprudently than uncharitably imposed And here I must premise that this Reconciler is as like to be an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such a busie-body in matters which he has no concern to intermeddle in as any of those whom the Apostle tells us do deservedly suffer as 1 Pet. 3. 17. chap. 4. 1◠it is sit they should amongst evil doers For has he any order from his Superiours to undertake the part of a Reconciler did they furnish him with instructions and give him his Rules and Measures to guide him in a matter of this importance to Church and State or has he any Commission from the Dissenters to act and play the Advocate on their behalf have they made their last Will and Testament about things indifferent Does he know what they are content to bequeath to the Church or what they are resolved to take from it Can he tell what will fully satisfie their scrupulosity and bring them into so hearty a compliance with us as may settle a happy and a seasonable conformity amongst us if he can produce no delegation to this effect the design he goes upon running Counter to the Laws and Customs establisht his attempt will be ridiculous and appear to consist of as many and as impertinent fooleries as those he has so civilly charged the Learned Meisner with But let us proceed When Moses the great Law-giver was about to make the Tabernacle a Type of the Church he was admonished thus of God see that thou make Heb. 8. ◠all things according to the Pattern shewed to thee on the Mount But I do not find that ever he called the people to consult whether they approved of this or that part of the pattern nor do I find any attempt of theirs to question or dispute the decency of any particular piece of that pattern Now parallel to the Pattern on the Mount the Apostles had the mind of Christ after his frequent Sermons and private discourses And Acts 1. Gal. 1. S. Paul had it also by a special revelation And a prospect of this Pattern we have in those General Rules of the Apostles let all things be done decently and in order to publick edification and the Glory of God These were the Pattern on the Mount under the New Testament the Ritual Law of the Holy Gospel by which alone the Authority of Governors is limitted and directed And when matters of Ecclesiastical Discipline are established by their Prudence according to this Rule the subjects Duty is to submit and follow their steps and practice And if this were well observed it would presently free them from all their doubts and scruples as well as from their Schism which can never be excused unless they can prove that their Governors do act contrary to the divine Canon in which case only they may plead with S. Peter whether it be right c. But Acts 4. 19. the Reconciler can never make use of that Plea against our Governors in favour of the Dissenters if he reckons them amongst S. Pauls weak ones because he confesses p. 73. the Apostle has made as perfect and full a determination against them as words can make And 't is a little strange to observe the want of Ingenuity in this Reconciler according to the wonted practice of the Party he repeats their Cavils and Objections but never takes notice of the Answers that have been returned it seems they have been refuted with so much strength of reason that he thought himself not able enough to grapple with it But this is not all he makes a great cry against the imposition of unnecessary Ceremonies as if the Constitution of this Church were over-burthened and the good Seed of the Gospel choaked with the multitude of them when in truth upon a strict examination they will not amount unto a number For we may observe That he reckons some observances among things indifferent which really are not so He does instance in bowing and kneeling which are parts of Gods external Worship suggested by the light of nature and enjoyned by the second precept of the Moral Law which command binds always semper non ad semper but because this external Worship may be exhibited in several gestures of the Body which cannot be all performed at once therefore it is left to the wisdom of the Church to determine it pro hic nunc for place and season for which notwithstanding She wants not Her sufficient directions in holy Scripture 2. We may observe that all things are not alike indifferent As in those Heavenly bodies there is one Glory of the Sun another of the Moon another of the Stars and one Star differeth from another Star in Glory So a great disparity there was betwixt the State and Magnificence of the first and second Temple for even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect by reason of the glory that excelleth And to bring the discourse 2 Cor. 3. 10. more close to our concern a Surplice is generally a thing indifferent and yet when we come to specialties who sees not that there is a great difference betwixt one of Cambrick and one of Canvas and the richer it is in value according to common estimation the greater respect it shews to the person to whom we do therein administer And this is God's own account as well as mine when the people made the Table of the Lord contemptible by their lame and blind Sacrifices God upbraids them for their profane ingratitude Offer it now unto thy Governor will he be pleased with Mal. 1. 7. 8. thee or accept thy person saith the Lord of Hosts And we must remember that it was the Poverty of the Offerer which God condescended to when he accepted of a pair of Turtle-doves or two young Pigeons for an Oblation and this was only in case of a private person who was able to present no more and so must not be brought into example when we are concerned for publick Administrations And we may consider further that The estimate of Veneration and Reverence is taken from the customs of several Places and Countrys to put off our shooes in holy places among us would be undecent and so it would be thought to kiss the Kings hand upon our tails Whatever they do in other places our Governors have adjudged the Gestures and Observances in use among us to be the most Reverent and 't is left to their
the Apostle alters his style to them 1 Thes 5. 12 13. after he had admonished the Disciples to have a special regard to those Spiritual Guides and a high value for them He treats them with great respect when he puts them in mind of their Duty Now we beseech you Brethren warn them that are disorderly But the Reconciler goes on with his exceptions and tells us The same Apostle writing to Timothy concerning such who had a Form of Godliness but denied the power of it writes certainly of Persons who did as much deserve the Churches Censures as those he mentioned Rom. 16. 17. This Reconciler always has a reserve of kindness for such as make Divisions and Dissentions in the Church and Timothy says he to whom he writes had power to inflict those Censures and yet he only saith unto him from such turn away The place is 2 Tim. 3. 5. But to this I reply 1. That no doubt Timothy after so long converse with this great Apostle very well understood the several parts of his Duty and the Apostle did not think fit to prescribe him particular Rules of Government having charged him in the General in his former Epistle chap. 5. 21. To proceed according to the merits of every cause that should be brought before him and to do nothing with Partiality 2. He speaks there of a dangerous sort of Impostors which crept into Houses and had cunning enough to lead Captive silly Women and such false Apostles as take sanctuary in great Families the Church-Censures cannot always reach them Timothy had not then the assistance of a Secular arm and perhaps they were not to be restrained without it 3. The Apostle forseaw the Reign of those Impostors would be but short and concluded it would be most prudent to let them alone to expose themselves to contempt and scorn to their own ruin and this is the importance of those words 2 Tim. 3. 9. They shall proceed no further for their folly shall be manifest unto all men as perhaps our Reconcilers misadventure may be ere he be few months older But this shall suffice for the vindication of Grotius his little Argument The next Argument was that of Catharinus it was but short indeed and the Reconciler was too short-sighted to discern the force of it 't was taken from the Apostles expostulation who art thou that judgest another mans Servant Cum non sis Pastor aut Dominus ejus as Catharinus very truly and judiciously makes the sense of the Apostle when thou art not his Lord or Bishop and hast no jurisdiction and command over him This Argument saith our Reconciler is extremely frivolous which argues he does not understand it for saith he if this be the import of the Apostles words why dost thou judge another mans Servant who art not his Pastor then his own Master to whom he stands or falls must be his Pastor and therefore he must have a Pastor But the Master there mentioned is so plainly God that it is but lost time to prove it Thus our Reconciler argues But under favour he has insnared himself in a Fallacy which is called Ignoratio Elenchi For the Assertion was this that those Rules were given to private Persons and the reason of that were because there was no Governors then setled among the Christians at Rome and the proof of this was taken from a hint in Catharinus why dost thou judge thy Brother cum non sis Pastor aut Dominus ejus He had no Bishop or Pastor to Govern him in Church-matters and therefore the Apostle refers him to God's Tribunal And now I hope the Argument will be clear to the understanding of our Reconciler for thus it is framed They that were accountable to none but God in matters of Religion They were under no Jurisdiction they who were under no Jurisdiction had no Governors and consequently these directions could not concern them who were not then in Being especially being a Provision for quietness design'd for want of them And here it will not be impertinent to take notice of Aquinas his observation in Prol. That S. Paul wrote fourteen Epistles whereof nine were to instruct the Church of the Gentiles four to direct the Prelates and Governors of the Church and one for the Instruction of the People of Israel For the whole Doctrine concerns the Grace of Christ which falls under a threefold consideration One way as it is in Christ the Head and so it is commended to us in the Epistle to the Hebrews Another way as it is in the Principal Members of the Body Mystical and so it is commended in those Epistles which are directed to the Prelates A third way as it is in the Mystical Body it self which is the Church and so it is commended in those Epistles which were sent to the Gentiles amongst which this to the Romans was one and not directed to the Prelates of the Church as Aquinas well observes And it is further observable That here are Rules given and particularly in the 14th and 15th Chapters which are inconsistent with the Governors Duty For 1. He passeth by the Bishops Office and applies himself to the Disciples and instead of giving order to the first to excommunicate the scandalous offenders He requires the other to avoid them 2. He forbids judging which had been an obstruction of Justice and Discipline if there had been any Officers to execute and perform it 3. As he had done by the Women in another sence so here he injoyns the Men silence to keep their Faith their Opinion and Knowledge to themselves which in Bishops and Pastors was an obstructing of Edification 'T is clear S. Paul sends them a Prohibition against Judging but this we may be sure S. Paul would not have done against such as had Authority to Judge whence it will follow That he sent not this prohibition to Church-Governors and from hence it will follow that there were none such amongst them which was the thing undrtaken to be proved as was hinted by Catharinus The Argument may be put into Form thus Such as have a Jurisdiction and Divine Authority to Judge of Scandals and Offences those Persons the Apostle did not forbid to judge the reason is because the holy Apostle doubtless would not supersede a Divine Authority and obstruct the course of Justice and Reformation But Governors where they were duly setled had a Jurisdiction and Divine Authority to judge of Scandals and Offences Therefore the Apostle did not forbid them to Judge Here are but two things to be made good to clear the Argument from all possible objection 1. That there were among those Christians at Rome many Misdemeanors Scandals and Offences matters fit for Inquisition and Censure 2. That Church-Governors had Authority where they were duly setled to inquire into them and Censure them The first is clearly proved from the Admonition of the Apostle Rom. 16. 17. Mark them which cause Divisions and Offences and avoid c.
5. 3 12 13. of which we have given account already They may not despise or set at nought a Weak Brother but I hope being invested with a just Authority you will allow them to reprove and upbraid such as are wilfully ignorant upon a supine Carelesness or something worse Upon such an account sure they may say with the Royal Prophet Psal 94. 8. O ye fools when will ye understand and have they not our Lords example to say to such O fools and slow of heart to believe and they have the great Apostles practice I am sure to bear them out if they should say to such as trouble and disturb the Peace of the Church O Gal. 3. 1. foolish Dissenters who hath bewitched you that ye should not obey the truth But so far are they from putting a stumbling-block or an occasion to fall in their Brothers way that they endeavour to put him into the right way wherein if he has eyes in his head and will follow their Direction he shall be sure not to stumble But when our Superiours they have made the way plain and smooth and easie according to the truth of the Gospel If such as this Reconciler shall throw in their Rubbish and Stones of offence to obstruct it and then these Brethren will dash their foot willingly against it and stumble at it Their Fall is willful and they must thank themselves for the hurt they take by it I deny not but Governors in some sense are concerned to please the Subjects But a man may please others both to his own and to their destruction as Theod. ad Rom. 15. 1. I must not gratifie him in his Schism and Sedition to please him for that would betray him to damnation I must please him only to his good to his edification in the obedience of the Gospel that he may be saved to this end it may be a Governors Duty to grieve him 2 Cor. 2. 2 for there is a godly sorrow which worketh repentance unto salvation not to be repented of 2 Cor. 7. 10. And he that can bring a soul to this tho his methods may seem severe yet among wise and sober Christians his Discipline as well as his Liberty will be well spoken of When he tells us of destroying him with our meat for whom Christ died that to return him some of those Givilities which he bestows on his Meisner is but one of his repeated fooleries for it can concern no man but a Jew or a Jews fellow in whose account some meats and drinks are still common and unclean and this Reconciler does acknowledge p. 74 75. that now the Apostles instructions of forbearance are out of date as to them their stubbornness having cut them off from all Title to our Charity in that kind And for the Roman-Catholicks tho they abstain sometimes from such and such meats yet they profess they do it Non quod conscientiam polluant suâ immunditie sed inobedientiâ Conte ad Rom. 14. And therefore when we eat with them we see they are in no more danger to be destroyed by our liberty than we are upon the account of their forbearance And thus it was among the Christians in Theodorets * Hee consuetudo in hunc usque diem mansit in Ecclesiis haec quidem abstinentia amplectituri ille vero omnibus esculentis absque ullo scrupulo vescitur nec hic illum judicat nec ille alterum reprehendit sed eos claros insignes reddit Lex Concordiae Theod. ad Rom. 14. Lat. ver Parisiis 1608. time See the Margin If that would serve his turn we readily grant that S. Paul was most certainly an excellent Church-Governor and had as much power as any of his Successors in Church-matters and we will allow him something more but did he never vary his Rules and shift his Battery according to the condition of the Persons whom he attempted to subdue to the obedience of the Gospel He did sometimes condescend when it was Prudence and Charity so to do but when out of weakness he perceived men became Head-strong when from tenderness they grew restive and obstinate then he became resolute and positive He was a notable Orator as S. Chrysost observes of him and used all the innocent Haec autem dicit ut eos anticipet blandiendo ut laudum Cupidine capti tales praestare se studeant ut digni possint haberi quos efferant omnes Laudibus prosequantur Inter. Theophilact ad Rom. 15. 29. Arts of Rhetorick to insinuate and gain upon the people and many times he used Hyperbolies vehemency and excesses of expression that his perswasion might be the more powerful and make the deeper impression Such is that to the Galathians for I bear you record that if it had been possible Gal. 4. 15. ye would have plucked out your own eyes and have given them to me And such is that to the Thessalonians So being 1 Thes 2. 8. affectionately desirous of you we were willing to have imparted unto you not the Gospel of God only but also our own souls because ye were dear unto us Such is that 1 Cor. 8. 13. to the Corinthians Wherefore if meat make my Brother to offend I will eat no flesh while the world standeth lest I make my Brother to offend And of the same 1 Cor. 9. 19 20 21 22. kind is that For though I be free from all men yet have I made my self servant to all that I might gain the more And unto the Jews I became as a Jew that I might gain the Jews to them that are under the Law as under the Law that I might gain them that are under the Law To them that are without the Law as without Law being not without Law to God but under the Law to Christ that I might gain them that are without Law To the weak became I as weak that I might gain the weak I am made all things to all men that I might by all means save some Here was great truth and sincerity in these Condescentions but we must understand these pro hic nunc When he had to deal with a Jew apart he treated him with all possible lenity and sweetness and Christian compliance and so he did by the Gentile when he had him by himself but this was by way of Dispensation to draw them in to embrace the Gospel But when the Jew and Gentile came together these methods of compliance were useless and unpracticable we have the very Case reported by S. Paul himself upon the congress of the Jew and Gentil Christian at Antioch where the Apostle was not nay he could not be so compleasant as to be all things to all men He withstood S. Peter to the face c. Gal. 2. 11 12 13 14. And thus a man may carry himself toward Dissenting Parties he may privately Coax and Flatter a Dissenter in his errors and comply with his weakness thinking
go by the Gospel that very Gospel contradicts their pretence as we learn by a voice from Heaven to S. Peter Acts 10. 15. What God hath cleansed that call not thou common for persons were so esteemed by the Law as well as things and by the resolution of S. Paul in this place Rom. 14. 14. I know and am perswaded by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of it self 5. And I would have it considered that we have no Rites or Observances in use among us but what are taken up by the light of Nature or purely upon the account of Christianity They never had any Relation to the Institutions of the Heathen as the meats offered to Idols nor yet to the Levitical Covenant as Swines-flesh Circumcision the Jewish Sacrifices and Festivals had Shew me where St. Paul saith one man regardeth a Surplice the sign of the Cross kneeling another man regardeth them not Do not Judge do not grieve do not offend a Brother for these things He did not he could not say any thing to this effect of any of these 1 Cor. 14. 26 Eph. 3. 14. things not of kneeling or bowing for they are suggested to all mankind by the light of Nature and were the Apostles 1 Cor. 11. 5 11. own intimation charge and practice The Surplice he determined in the Womans Vaile by a Parity of Reason and for the sign of the Cross 't is so peculiarly related to Christianity that it can never tempt any man to turn either Jew or Gentile which was the great danger St. Paul so carefully provides against and he hath given us a Reason for it 1 Cor. 1. 22. in telling us that Christ Crucified was unto the Jews a stumbling-block and to the Greeks foolishness To this I may add 6. The general opinion of Commentators is that the Apostle does not Anon. ad Rom. 14. not 1. speak here Rom. 14. of the weakness of a Brother in doing any thing unlawful or that he should be tolerated by the strong therein When the Apostle saith let every man Rom. 14. 5. abound in his own sense according to the vulgar Latin or let him be fully perswaded Theod. ad Rom. 14. 5. in his own mind as the English hath it Theodoret observes that the Apostle did not speak this in general nor may we be so free in our opinions or perswasions of Gods Word and Ordinances for he doth anathematize or Gal. 1. 8 9. strike him with a Curse who frames his mind to teach the things that are contrary to Divine Truth And Gualter Gualter ad Roman Homil. 80. to the same sense Quae palam contra Dei voluntatem fiunt ea in proximo reprehendere deque illis ex Dei verbo judicare licet What is clearly contrary to the will of God 't is Lawful for a man to judge of that by the word of God and to reprehend our Neighbour for it Now certainly this is Gods Ordinance let every Soul be subject to the higher Powers and this is the will of God even our Submission and Obedience to such as Rom. 13. 1. Heb. 13. 7 17. God hath set over us Wherefore unless the Apostle contradicts his own Doctrine he cannot be supposed to deliver any thing in this case that may derogate from the just power of our Superiors And let it be once proved that the Apostle has set up Liberty above Authority or in opposition to it and I shall yield the Cause but this is a challenge which I dare say none of our Dissenters No nor the Reconciler himself will have the hardiness to answer 3. I say Those Directions of the Apostle Rom. 14. had a special reference to that Critical Dispensation I call it Critical because it was something like that juncture of circumstances which hapned in St. Paul's Voyage to Rome when they came to the place where two Seas met except the Mariners the Guides of the Vessel did abide in the Ship and submit to the Apostles prudent Steerage and Direction They could not be saved For that this Indulgence of the Apostle was in favour of the Jews cannot be denied and he had taken the advice of the Colledge of Apostles and Elders in it who tell him thus Acts 21. 20. Thou seest Brother how many thousands of Jews there are which believe and they are all zealous of the Law Now Exodus 19. the condition of the Jewish Church was this The Religion established amongst them was of Divine Institution and the Rites and Ceremonies thereof imposed with great severity by a dreadful Majesty with an astonishing attendance this they had been bred in and lived under and were prepossessed with an opinion of the Sacredness and perpetual obligation of it But out of this sprang a more refined Religion introduced by the Ministry of the Son of God Whether the introduction of this did abrogate or supersede the Authority of the other was the thing in question The prejudice the Jews had against the abrogation of it for the Reasons now mentioned was so great that it was not easie to be conquered The Apostle was sensible hereof for he lost his own Carnal eyes before he could discern Acts 9. a Reason for it and he was smitten down to the Earth that he might there bury those beggarly Elements of Judaism wherein he had been Disciplined and for which he was so fiercely Zealous before he could learn humility enough to submit to the Voice and Gospel of the Messias and this made him so compassionate to his Brethren of Israel whom he knew to lye under the like prepossession and prejudice 'T is true Moses's Law was out of date de jure upon the publication of John 1. 31. Heb. 10. 1. the Gospel and assoon as our Lord was made manifest unto Israel For the Law was but a shadow of good things to come the Body and the Sun was Christ the Col. 2. 17. Rom. 10. 4. end and the Accomplisher of the Law De Jure therefore the Law of Ceremonies was abolish'd But yet till there was a clear promulgation hereof the old Law retained its force and vigour among such as understood not that it was now void and of no effect For tho the Law ceases by a meer abrogation yet the Subject cannot be free from his former obligation till it does some way appear that 't is his Superiors will and that the former Law be presently revoked which was not yet made manifest convincingly to all the Community of the Jewish Nation And that which increased the difficulty and confirmed if not heightned the prejudices on both sides was this The Jews they received the gifts of the Holy Act. 2. Act. 10 44 45. and Chap. 11. 2. to 18. Ghost under the observation of Moses's Law the Gentils did the like under the omission and neglect of it Hereupon why should we abandon our old Law seeing God hath received us All this the
Reconciler does acknowledge page 74. into favour and attested it by the effusions of his Spirit on us say the Jews And why shall we abandon our Liberty and Privilege say those Gentils seeing God hath done the like to us This was the difference and dispute between them and nothing but the Ministry of a Divine Authority assisted by the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost and agreeing in a Declaration to the same effect and the power of Miracles was able to bring them to Conformity and unite them entirely into one Catholick Communion This I call a Critical dispensation and it can never be the Case of the Christian Church again unless Elias should come a second time as some do vainly dream to make a farther Reformation and then perhaps S. Pauls Rules might be in season again before the World could come to any settlement How far is the Case of Dissenters wide of this were they bred under any other Divine Law than that which we profess and practise Have they any pretence to some other divine Institutions Have they any divine prohibition against any thing the Church observes Do we violate any Ordinance that is known to be prae-establisht by Divine Authority why then do they take up the perverse or peevish practice of those Jews and run upon the same Rock of Judaism and Superstition as if they were called to it by a voice from Heaven when they have not the like pretence for it For either the Law of Moses is in force or it is not If they think it is in force They may scruple at the eating of a black Pudding or touching the Corps of their dearest friend deceased or ploughing with an Oxe and an Asse which conjunction in a Tropical sense they never scruple at If that Law be not in force at all in their opinion why do they plead what S. Paul discourses upon the account of them who believed it was If it concerns us at all it must be either directly or indirectly and by a parity of Reason But 1. not directly because it relates to a Law whereby things were distinguish'd into clean and unclean 2. Not indirectly or by a parity of Reason because the like critical juncture of circumstances is never like to happen Let them therefore set their hearts at rest For those Rules of condescention and forbearance which the Apostle prescribed as a temporary provision to keep those private Christians quiet under that Critical Dispensation can never serve to justifie their Separation upon such groundless doubts empty Scruples and vain Imaginations And now having made it clear to all Rom. 14. 1â— Chapters impartial Readers that the Apostle did not direct this his advice to Governors but prescribed it only as a Temporary provision to keep the peace among private Christians We must expect no Quarter from the Reconciler but to be severely loaden with the reproach of an odious Inference 'T is not enough it seems to prove that the things there mentioned were only Temporary but we are called to a fresh Task to prove that Church-Governors are now at liberty to walk uncharitably towards the weak and to destroy the work of God for meat and drink Do this says he very fairly and we are satisfied This any man would think a fair offer at the first hearing but upon second thoughts we find that by suppressing one of the premisses he hides a sallacy and herein he is either catch'd himself and deceived in his own captious way of reasoning and that betrays his want of Logick or else he designs wittingly to impose upon the weakness or credulity of his Reader and then he shews his want of honesty If we put his Argument into Form for him it must run thus He that says Those Rules above-mentioned were but a Temporary Provision to keep the Peace among private Christians he leaves Church-Governors at liberty to walk uncharitably towards the weak and to destroy the work of God for meat and drink But Dr. Womock says Those Rules above-mentioned were but a Temporary Provision to keep the Peace among private Christians ergo Dr. Womock leaves Church-Governors c. We must give him time to prove the major Proposition and I believe he will take till Dooms-day and then he may have something else to answer for His disturbing the peace of the Church and encouraging an ungovernable Faction in their Schism and Sedition But let us follow him Dr. Womock saith from Catharinus They were Rules to be received till the Apostles had made a perfect determination and truly saith the Reconciler if this were all they were not to be observed at all His Reason follows For in this very Chapter he plainly saith that the things scrupled by the weak were pure and lawful in themselves and that he knew and was perswaded by the Lord Jesus that there was nothing unclean of it self which is as perfect and full a determination of the Case against the weak as words can make Let us take notice 1. that we have here the Key put into our hands by the Apostle himself to open and unlock his meaning and to give us the full account of his design which was to indulge the Jewish Christians who had been bred up under the Mosaical Dispensation wherein days and meats were distinguished into such as were clean or unclean common or holy which cannot concern us who pretend to no such distinction in that Legal sense or of any Divine Authority Having observed thus much 2. I answer That the Apostle did declare his judgment in the Case as to the matters in question de jure but as to the use and practice of them at Rome He did not as yet settle or determine them de facto by his Apostolical Authority But with us the case is otherwise we have a Determination and Settlement against our pretended weak ones both de jure and de facto too For they know there is nothing de jure unclean or unlawful among us and that de Facto Authority hath setled what they dispute against That S. Paul has determined the Case de jure we have his own concession and that elsewhere he did state and settle it de facto he is forced to confess and indeed his concessions are so full when he comes to himself that they are a perfect confutation of his whole Book if a man would give himself the trouble or the leisure to collect them That the Apostle did determine the Case de facto as to other Churches are so full and clear that we have no need of other evidence to prove it The These Epistles were written after that to the Romans Apostle saith he doth in the Epistles to the Galathians and Colossians speak severely against their observation of the Jewish Festivals p. 80. And does he not condemn them for their superstitious abstaining from certain meats and drinks Let no man judge you in meats and drinks and let no man beguile you of your
virtus est per quam confirmati sunt This blessing was the power of Miracles by which they were confirmed in the truth of the Gospel St. Ambrose Origen refers it to the gift of Prophesying whereby S. Paul foretells his coming to Rome instructed with the most eminent gifts of the Holy Ghost Acts 19. 21. Audaciter autem promittere potuit se allaturum copiam Spiritualium Pet. Martyr bonorum qui certo sciret sibi concessam esse Gratiam Apostolatus quam apud eos non dubitabat fore frugiferam saith Peter Martyr He might confidently promise that he should come attended with abundance of Spiritual Blessings because he knew certainly that the Grace of the Apostleship was bestowed upon him which he could not doubt but would be very fruitful and of great efficacy amongst them And this he might very well be sure of upon a double account that is both by experience and by Revelation 1. His experience might well assure him hereof For he was thus highly furnish'd in his administrations to other Churches Thus he tells the Corinthians Truly the signs of an Apostle 2 Cor. 12. 12. were wrought among you in all patience in signs and wonders and mighty deeds And thus he expostulates with the Galathians He therefore that Ministreth to you the Spirit and worketh Miracles among you does he do it by the works of the Law or by the hearing of Faith or the holy Gospel and to go no further than this very Epistle to the Romans He tells them Rom. 15. 18 19. thus I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me to make the Gentils obedient by word and deed through mighty signs and wonders by the Power of the spirit of God so that from Hierusalem and round about to Illyricum I have fully Preached the Gospel of Christ After so great experience of this Divine Assistance he could not doubt of the like as long as he was ingaged in the like service of the Gospel And 2. we may very well conclude Acts 19. 21. too that he had this assurance by Revelation for the Text says expresly That he purposed by the Spirit to go to visit Acts 23. 11. Rome and the Lord appeared to him to encourage him to that effect and hereupon he declares his power and foretells the certain effect of it with so much Rom. 15. 29. Chap. 16. 20. confidence I am sure I shall come to you with the fulness of Evangelical Blessings and thereupon the Lord shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly By this means the Apostle was sure that the Church at Rome would be shortly rescued from those pestilent Impostors and Dissentions which the event witnessed accordingly Haymo is most full in it I 'll transcribe his words Spiritu prophetico afflatus talia cum securitate dicebat Quum autem dicit in abundantiâ benedictionis Christi veniam tale est quale illud quod in exordio hujus Epistolae dixit Desidero inquiens venire ad vos ut aliquid gratiae Spiritalis impertiar vobis ad confirmandos vos In abundantiâ benedictionis veniam plenitudine virtutum ut meâ praedicatione quod minus habetis in fide percipiatis ex virtute miraculorum quae apud vos operabor roboremini in eadem fide ut majorem gratiam Christi in meo adventu percipere mereamini Sic etenim fecit quia veniens quod illis deerat in fide in charitate in caeteris rebus spiritalibus suo adventu supplevit Haymo above eight hundred years ago does deliver this sense fully upon the Text Rom. 15. Being inspired by a Prophetical Spirit he delivered these things with great confidence When he saith I shall come in the abundance of the blessing of Christ He repeats what he had said in the beginning of his Epistle chap. 1. 11. for I long to see you that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end you may be established I will come unto you in the abundance of the benediction of the Gospel that is in the fulness of power and virtue that what you have wanting in the Faith by my Preaching you may receive it by the power of Miracles which I will work among you that ye may be confirmed in that Faith that you may receive a greater measure of the grace of Christ at my coming And this the Apostle did perform for what was wanting in their Faith in their Charity and in other Spiritual Graces He supplied it at his coming to them The short is the Apostle does declare his sense concerning those Ritual observances but he sent no peremptory command that they should presently walk up to the truth and priviledge of the Gospel in the practice or forbearance of those things 1. Because there was no Bishop or Governor setled to enforce the observation of such a command if it had been sent And 2. Because the opposition was so stiff and the opposers so subtil and prevalent that there was no likelihood that an order or command sent at a great distance from a person whom they had never seen should take effect amongst them Therefore he reserved the full determination settlement of this difference Rom. 14. 1 2 3. till his coming to them in the fulness of the Apostolical Authority and the power of Miracles which he made use of in the settlement of other Churches In the mean while the most prudent provision he could make was 1. To advise them to a Rom. 16. 17. fair compliance with all Christian meekness and condescention and to forbear contempt and rash judgment And 2. To avoid the pestilent Infusions of Impostors by withdrawing from them This justifies the sentiment of Grotius and the Verdict The next place I find Dr. Womock concerned in is at pag. 77. where the Rom. 14. 14. Reconciler observes That the Apostle here declares that the eating of those things which the weak Brother durst not eat was a thing Lawful in it self and that he was perswaded thus to judge by the Lord Jesus and so the scandal which the weak Christian took at the freedom of the strong who used his Christian Liberty in eating of these things was scandalum acceptum non datum scandal Received but not Given the action being such as the weak Christian could not justly be offended at And yet the Apostle plainly doth condemn both here and in the first to the Corinthians verse 8. the ministring occasion to this scandal And therefore tho this Scandal which the Dissenters take at things indifferent enjoyned by Superiors be scandal received and not given this doth not hinder but it may be the Duty of Superiors not to afford occasion to it by the imposing of these things c. From which words of his we see plainly his quarrel is with his Superiors and if they will not come to School to him to learn their Duty they shall hear on 't with
secundum quid or as some call it a Necessity of expedience of which necessity or expedience the Apostles and Elders that is the Governors of the Church were the sole and proper Judges But the Reconciler tells us the Dissenters do universally deny that it is necessary to determine any of these scrupled Ceremonies and they have perfect demonstration for the truth of that denyal for Necessarium est quod non potest aliter se habere that only is necessary to be done which cannot be left undone But will the Reconciler say that the things determined and imposed by that Council were necessary in this sense That implies a Physical necessity whereas here was no other necessity than a Moral one which is only when Prudence or the present reason of things does suggest That I be willing to do what I can when I am not able to do what I would In this sense the word Necessity is taken 1 Cor. 7. 37. He that standeth stedfast in his heart having no Necessity but has power over his own will i. e. he has no Moral consideration of force enough to draw him from his purpose The necessity was not absolute 't was not inevitable The thing of it self might have been otherwise and therefore the Reconciler thought fit to mince the matter thus That only is necessary to be determined in order to the performance of an Ibid. p. 340. Action without which the Action cannot be done or N. B. at the least not well done But Divine Service saith he may be celebrated Baptism may be administred the Sacrament may be received yea all these Actions may be performed well tho no determination should be made by our Superiors that all who do Officiate should wear a Surplice all that receive the Sacrament shall kneel and all that are Baptized shall receive the sign of the Cross upon their foreheads Here the Reconciler mistakes the question or begs it The question is concerning these Administrations and performances now our Superiors have made their determination And I say if these Duties be not done according to appointment they are not done decently according to the present Estimation of our Governors and it is their Estimate and Order not our own Will or Fancy that God commands us to obey and follow and the Reason is because according to the common sense and experience of the whole World They whose Prudence and Authority is intrusted by God himself to Rule and Govern in all Human Affairs are not only allowed to be the most competent Judges * The external Worship of God is taken from that which is esteemed the highest reverence among men See Psal 2. 12. 72. 9. Isa 49. 23. of what is Civil and Decent in their respective Countries but the Duties also appointed according to their Order at Gods Command are the more likely to obtain acceptance at Gods hands for their very Office-sake as Gods Vice-gerents And hence it is that as we are required to obey them for the Lords sake so we are encouraged to 1 Pet. 2. 13. hope that he will have respect unto us for theirs †Nam cum Deus proponere vellet exemplum orationis acceptissimae non aliam in medium adduxit quam Mosis Samuelis Orationem Greg. v. Psal 99. 6 Jer. 18. 1. 1 Sam. 12. 23. And then God having prescribed his Vice-gerents a General Rule if he leaves the particulars to their Discretion Who art thou O man that disputeth against God Rom. 9. 20. Certainly 't is our Duty to rely upon their Judgment where God himself is pleased to trust it We have no reason to be offended at the Laws of our Governors when God is not offended at them and we are sure God is not offended at what they do unless they do it against his will What they have done and established in his Church and Worship let us see the Will of God against it and we will all forth with turn Protestant Joyners and Reconcile our selves to the Dissenters upon the account Acts 4. 19 5. 29. of St. Peters Aphorism we must obey God rather than Man But where God has not put a check upon their power we must obey him in his Officers rather than follow our own Fancy or the Suggestions of any private Person or Persons who have no Authority over us and that is to obey God rather than man in a second and lower sense of that Rule For Governors have Authority to institute Rites and Observances for Order and Decency which we are bound to observe upon that account For there is a command to Governors 1 Cor. 14. 40. Let all things be done decently and in order And then there is a command to Subjects to perform what is established according to that Rule Obey your Prelates or those who have the Heb. 13. 7 17. Rule over you And concerning such Rites and Traditions St. Austins Rule is commended in all the Church of God In these things a prudent Christian Davenant ad Col. 2. 8. p. 185. can observe no better Order than this to do as the Church of God does whereever he comes For whatsoever is injoyned that is neither against the Faith nor against good manners is to be used indifferently according to the custom of the place All Ecclesiastical Laws concerning Fasts or Festivals concerning the difference of Habits and the whole external Order which is observed in the performance of all Sacred Offices will come under this Rule Whosoever rejects this kind of Rites and Traditions of men not repugnant to the word of God is a disturber of Publick Order and a Contemner of that Power and Authority which God has setled in his Church Thus the Learned Davenant 2. If a weak Brother scruples and acts unreasonably his weakness may call for our help and as S. Chrysostom saith he ought to have it But what is the help that can be afforded him in this case The disease 't is in his Mind and 't is â—â—t Reconcil 〈◊〉 78. only Want of Knowledg and particularly want of the Knowledge of that Liberty which was purchased to us by Christ Jesus And hence it is that the Apostle requires the strong to bear with such a Weak Brother and to instruct him Tantisper dum de Libertate partâ per Christum edoceatur as Hyperius Bullinger Hemmingius Beza and all the Learned Commentators among the Protestants do unanimously expound it till he has Learned what that Liberty is which was purchased for us by our blessed Saviour Those are to be esteemed little ones saith Amesius qui non sunt sufficienter instituti circa libertatem nostram 1 Cor. 8. 7. who are not sufficiently instructed Case Consc l. 5. c. 11. n. 14. 15. about our Liberty And he adds That all they are not sufficiently instructed to whom a just account of the matter of Fact is rendred For perhaps some are not capable to understand the account that is given them
than edifie the minds of the weak He would have them careful Ne intricatiores efficiatis ipsorum Conscientias saith Bullinger Our Reconciler is so charitable as to receive the weak into his tuition but he entertains him with doubtful Disputations and leaves his Conscience more intricate and intangled by his false reasonings than he found it 2. Because the Apostle saith who art thou that judgest another mans servant Therefore he will not allow Governors to Judge to Rebuke to Admonish a weak i. e. an ignorant erring Brother and yet he takes upon him to Judge his Governors to Censure their Laws and to Condemn their Impositions So it seems He is above St. Pauls advice as well as above his Superiors Jurisdiction and he can find favour and Indulgence for the meanest of the People rather than for them 3. So little esteem he has for Persons and things that relate to Gods Service that contrary to the Apostles Rule he despiseth them both witness that profane Scoff of his He that will have a May-pole let him have a May-pole and let the rest have none 4. Instead of pleasing his Brethren to their Edification that they might be saved as St. Paul requires he pleases them in their Schism which he accounts damnable if he believes what he has Transcribed of the Fathers In this he walks uncharitably for some he grieves some he stumbleth some he hardens in their Dissension And 5. To secure them in their wretched Schism as he calls it he flatters them with the priviledge of weak Brethren and tells them Saint Paul never enjoyned Prot. Recanc pag. 324. them to change their Principles or which is all one never to be of the same Principles and Apprehensions with the strong which must needs confirm them in their Schism And 6. Thus he encourages them to despise their Pastors and Teachers tho Saint Paul saith They that despise that 1 Thes 4. 8. Office despise not man but God 7. Whereas Saint Paul enjoyns us Rom. 14. 19 to follow after the things which make for Peace his design is more and more to break it For Peace as the Isa 32. 17. Prophet tells us is the fruit of Justice and 't is an undoubted part of Justice to pay obedience to the Impositions of our Governors and till that be duly paid there are no hopes of Peace But instead of pressing Subjects to perform this Duty He crys down his Sovereign's Impositions and though Order and Authority be the 1 Cor. 14. 33. great Conservators of Peace yet he teaches men to despise them both and in matters of Decency at least to do Deut. 12. 8. what is right in their own eyes And thus 8. He directly puts a stumbling-block Rom. 14. 13. in his Brothers way and this he doth for his Edification downwards and indangers Rom. 14. 15. his destruction for whom Christ died And hereby 9. He causeth his good whether it be his Faith or his Liberty to be evil spoken of 10. The Apostle saith Let every man Rom. 14. 5 23. be fully perswaded in his own mind And he that doubteth is damned if he does the thing he doubts of Now to assume upon this Reconciler Does he Kneel wear the Surplice sign with the Cross If he doubts the Lawfulness thereof and do's them notwithstanding then he is damned in acting against his own Conscience But if he doubts not if he be fully perswaded in his own mind of their Lawfulness then he walks uncharitably Neither like a Priest for 't is his Duty to accommodate himself to the Infirmities of such as are ignorant and out of the way Heb. 5. 2. not to indulge them in their errors much less to lead them more astray for then he should be obliged to say Amen to his own Malediction Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander D ut 27. 18. out of the way Which Text Abulensis thinks may be understood of those Apud Bonfrer Qui rudes in fide sunt who are raw and weak in the Faith and the Curse belongs to such as make them err through their perverse Counsel In falsos Doctores Apud Synops qui quomodo libet Causam dederint erroris quadrat saith Paul Fagius It agrees exactly to our false Doctors and such as by any means administer unto error Let the Reconciler well consider it For he has not done like a tender Priest Nor 2. like a true Convert After his shameful prevarication our Saviour says to Peter tu aliquando Conversus Luke 22. 32. Luc Bâ—ug ad locum c. and thou when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren in bono fidei spei Charitatis in the grace and duty of Faith Hope and Charity Sometimes God suffers such as are Ordaired to conduct others to take offence and fall themselves that by that accident they may come to think the more meanly of themselves and to treat the frail Delinquent with the more gentleness And Christ doth insinuate that unless such persons be converted they are the less meet to Confirm others especially if they have denied the Faith in any considerable Article of it as Peter did 11. Instead of Rational and Cogent Arguments he many times takes up such as are but probable plausible and suasory And because these sway much with himself he thinks his Reader should be taken with them likewise and if I had a list to take that trouble on me I could make a large Collection out of his Book of Instances to this purpose 12. He does unworthily traduce the Spouse which is the Church of Christ and in effect accuse her of Disloyalty in a Practice of Vsurpation and Tyranny for 1600 years together for so she is if there be nothing lawful to be imposed in her Communion but what is Necessary and Commanded by God himself For proof of this we need no other Argument but the Instances which he hath produced in his Book of the several things that have been observed and afterward abolished in the Church 13. What the Ancient Fathers and others say by way of descant upon the Apostles Text in reference to the scandal of the weak Jews that he applys to the Customs and Ceremonies which from time to time have been observed in the Church of God From whence the Reader may easily conclude that the Reconciler designs to put a Fallacy upon him or else is catch'd in one himself The Fallacy is A Dicto secundum quid ad Dictum simpliciter When the Predicate agrees to the Subject but in a certain respect or in part at such a time or place yet he asserts it simply and absolutely as if the agreement were in every respect in every part and time and place without any limitation And this is the Fallacy that runs all along in the Reconcilers Discourse when he urges the Fathers and other Authors against a Decent Habit a Reverent Gesture or the Symbolical Sign of our Christianity
Party as good Reason for their Aversion to our Communion as we have for our Aversion to theirs Have they as great Objections against us as we have against them Has the Pope any lawful Jurisdiction over us By what Scripture or Council was it settled Did we break off from their Communion Or rather Did not they leave and interdict Ours Who is now the Friend to Jesuites I would have the Reconciler to consider That although the same Sentence for Words and Syllables may pass against an Innocent as well as against a Malefactor yet I hope he will not say it is done with equal Truth and Justice But he is so ingenuous at last as to confess the truth in these words It will be hard to shew why either Party may not almost with equal plausibility Pr. Recon p. 107. make this pretence Whence we must conclude that this his Argument like the rest of his Book is but almost to the purpose 2. He Answers Secondly but to what Proposition of Dr. Womock's I cannot Divine but thus he saith If any of these things be offer'd as I hope they are onely to prove that there be men of this malicious proud stubborn temper among the body of Dissenters we have cause to fear the thing is too true This Fear of the Reconciler yields the Argument for it runs thus All that are under such and such qualifications have lost the title of Weak Brethren But Some of the Dissenters are under such and such qualifications Therefore Some of the Dissenters have lost the title of Weak Brethren which is all that Dr. Womock is concerned to prove and more than he did positively affirm in his Verdict But then the Reconciler saith That the Arguments will hold good for a Dispensation towards all those of whom we cannot Charitably pronounce this Sentence I say this does not follow according to the Common Rules of Government Tho every Part be not alike Culpable yet every part must follow the common condition of the Whole and if men will follow such Leaders tho they be not led with the same Pride Malice or Design as their Leaders are led by yet making themselves of the Party and acting therein accordingly they are involved in the same guilt and liable to the same Condemnation I know as Bullinger saith There is a great difference betwixt one that errs In Epist ad Tit. 3. 10. not out of malice and one that to his errour joyns malice and a study to do mischief But if he is to be punished as no doubt he deserves it Cum errandi pervicacia ultro in Religionis Legumque eversionem manifeste tendit when the stiff-neckedness and obstinacy of his erring manifestly tends to the Overthrow of Religion and the Laws established How can that man in Reason be dispensed with who joyns and abetts him in * Idem enim omnes credimur operati in quo deprehendimur eadem omnes Censurae Disciplinae consensione Sociati Cler. Roman Cypriano Inter Epistol 31. it 'T is a Rule in Law Ubi Lex non distinguit nec nobis regulariter distinguere Licet Where the Law makes no distinction there we cannot regularly distinguish what ever simplicity they may pretend we cannot in prudence give them a dispensation to contrive our ruine which we have reason to suspect as long as they adhere to the Communion of those who design it Such as set up to make a Party against the Government they have strange Arts of Insinuation to work upon the flexible temper of the People and some follow their pernicious wayes out of simplicity some out of a love of Novelty and others out of an admiration or fondness for their Persons Does God give a Dispensation in this case when he comes to visit for such things The Prophet tells us otherwise For the Leaders of this People cause them to err and Isa 9. 16. Agreeably St. August upon Christs words If the Blind lead the Blind saith thus Vae caecis ducentibus Ve caecis Sequentibus they that are led of them are destroyed 'T is worth our observing That the Original hath it They that call them Blessed which notes the Flattery of such false Teachers They bless them in their Sedition and errours and they that are called Blessed of them are swallowed up tho their simplicity is imposed upon that is no Dispensation no Plea at all to secure them against destruction I cannot perswade my self that Corah and all the Company that adhered to him were equally Proud Stubborn and Malicious yet I find no Dispensation in the Case They were all involved in the same Guilt and fell under the same Condemnation Their Wives and their Numb 16. 27. Sons and their little Children I alledge this the rather because as Bullinger hath observed by this horrible In Ep. Jud. 11. v. example of Corah St. Jude does demonstrate to all the World what they are to expect who being seduced by the Spirit of Pride and Arrogancy are not content with their own Station in the Church but raise up Tumults and Factions against the Ministers of Truth To this Corah he compares the Seducers not of his own time onely but of all ages Qui sibi Functionem docendi vendicant repulsis Doctoribus veritatis who casting out the Ministers of Truth do challenge the Function of Teaching to themselves Wo unto them for they have gone in the way of Cain and ran greedily after the errour of Balaam for reward and perished in the gainsaying of Corah Ep. Jud. v. 11. Dr. Dicson has the like upon the place Calvin wonders that he should inveigh so sharply against these false Teachers when he had told us but a few lines before that the Archangel was so modest he would not reproach the Devil But this shews saith he that their Rage and Fury is intolerable who disturb the Well composed State of the Church To paint such seducing Teachers to the life the Apostle makes use of three notable examples and then he illustrates their Character by several similitudes He begins with Cain who was the first that made a Divorce from the Church of God In him we may observe Envy Malice and Hypocrisy The second is Balaam who turn'd his Prophetical Office into a Trade and made himself a wretched Hireling for his Divination and in him we have Covetousness and the liberty of Prophesying set up for filthy Bullinger Lucre. The third is Corah In whom we have an example of Ambition and Arrogance of Disobedience and Sedition He blasphemed the Magistracy and attempted to Level all degrees among the Ministers of God and he Hemming used a very specious and plausible Argument to this effect All the Congregation are Holy and 't was an unworthy thing that so holy a People should be subject to any Head on Earth But the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them Numb 26. 10. up and they became a sign A dreadful example of
much of St. Pauls Rule which the Reconciler would make his Reader believe was onely a Rule borrowed by Dr. Womock from our Roman Adversaries But 2ly This Rule saith the Reconciler condemns all Christ's Apostles and all the Primitive Weak Christians mentioned in Holy Scripture and in Church-History I can proceed no further till I have taken notice of the Reconcilers gross mistake 1st The Rule makes only the Major Proposition Authority must judge of the Matter of fact and so make the Minor without which no Conclusion can be inferred no sentence of Condemnation passed 2ly Here is Ignoratio Elenchi if they be Weak Christians they are not within this Rule which concerns onely such as have forfeited that Title and the Priviledge which belongs to it But let us hear his Reason such as it is For when the Apostles questioned the Power of our Lord as Christ assures us they did in many places does not our Saviours Reproof of this their Unbelief inform us That they had sufficient Reason from what he had already done before their eyes to be convinced of it When they doubted of his Resurrection or rather disbelieved it had they not had sufficient Cause both from Scriptures and their Masters frequent words to lay aside that Doubt When that after our Lords Commission to Go and Preach the Gospel to all Nations and the Descent of the Holy Ghost not only they but the whole Church held it unlawful to Preach the Gospel to any but the Jews or to the Circumcised could they justly pretend Ignorance after so plain an Admonition Were not the Judaizing Christians sufficiently admonished by the Holy Ghosts falling on Cornelius and his Friends and the Discourses at the Synod at Jerusalem That there was no necessity of Circumcising the Gentile Christians or of refusing to Converse with the Uncircumcised And must not only they but Peter also and Barnabas be Stubborn and Malitious for acting contrary to it I shall repeat no more of this Harangue to spare my self as well as the Reader Here we have Fallacy again so many things of different kinds jumbled together that no single Answer can comprehend them And this is a certain sign of Imposture Dolus versatur in Universalibus But I hope we shall give such a general Solution as will satisfy the Judicious 1. We are to consider That the Dispensation of the Gospel was stupendious and all Mystery The Incarnation of the Son of 1 Tim 3. 16. God was a Mystery The Resurrection of Christ from the Dead was a Mystery The calling of the Gentiles was a Mystery which St. Paul sets forth in these words Even the Mystery which hath been hid from Ages and from Generations but Col. 1. 26 27. See also Ephes 3. 1. 2 3 4 5 6. now is made manifest to the Saints to whom God would make known what is the riches of the Glory of this Mystery among the Gentiles which is Christ in you the hope of Glory Of the whole Dispensation the Prophet cries out Who hath Isa 53. 1. believed our report or to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed And again Behold ye among the Heathen and regard Habak 1. 5 and wonder marvellously for I will work a Work in your dayes which ye will not believe tho it be told you 2. We are to consider that Christs Disciples were but poor Ignorant and Unlearned Fishermen They had not bin bred in the Schools of the Prophets nor does it appear that their Apprehensions Luk. 24. 25. were very quick or their Memories very strong or retentive Their old Bottles needed a great Reformation before they were fit for the New Wine of the Gospel the Effusions of the Holy Ghost Christ was fain to open their Understanding after his Resurrection to help them to understand the Scripture and v. 45. Acts 1. 3. v. 8. Acts 2. 17. 18. John 16. 13. John 14. 26. to teach them the concerns of his Kingdom by Conference and to send down the Holy Spirit as well to enlighten them with further measure of Divine Knowledge as to bring former instructions into their Remembrance 3. As long as our Blessed Saviour does not charge them with Malice or Stubborness we have no reason to do it Nay tho they were dull and slow of heart to believe some Articles of great difficulty and not formerly propounded or with very Little Evidence Yet they Stubbornly rejected none but were willing from time to time to comply with such Notices as they clearly received from him and were glad to be convinced of any Errour They did not finally deny his Godhead or his Resurrection or the Dispensation of the Gospel John 20. 20. 28. Acts 11. 18. to the Gentiles nor yet dispute any needful or useful Article 4. There is a great difference betwixt a Church in Fieri and a Church in Facto A Church that is a making and one that is established The Church that travel'd in the wilderness was not under such fair Circumstances as that which was afterwards setled in the Land of Canaan The case of the Dissenters can never be justified by any thing that can be alledged under those circumstances For we are now under a Setled Church with Laws Discipline and Government and all established by mature and good Advice and a just Authority And the point in difference is drawn into so narrow a compass that he who unfeignedly desires to know his Duty if he will take St. Paul for his Tutor and Study to be quiet and to do his own business He may learn it out of half a Text of Scripture I mean Rom. 14. 14. and we Pag. 73. have the Reconcilers own word for it who tells us That in this Very Chapter the Apostles plainly saith that the things Scrupled by the weak were pure and lawful in themselves and that he knew and was perswaded by the Lord Jesus that there was nothing unclean of it self which saith the Reconciler is as perfect and full determination of the case against the Weak as words can make Granting this to be true I demand what is the Reason if they be not Jews that the Dissenters are not satisfyed I say if they be not Jews And let not the Reconciler conclude me Uncharitable for this Supposition For the Doctrine and Practice of this Phanatick Party has been so long corrupted with such a Jewish Leaven that they have layn under that Suspition at least these hundred years insomuch as Hyperius Ad. Tit. 1. 11. wisht so long agoe utinam hodiè nulli sint inter nos praeputiati Judaei I would to God there were no Uncircumcised Jews amongst us at this day 3ly Saith the Reconciler were we hereafter to be judged according to the Tenor of this Rule how sad would be our Doom For have not most Christians had sufficient Admonitions of those Duties they neglect and of those sins they do commit Might they not easily be convinced of these things by
serious Reflections on their Actions yea doth not Conscience often do that Office in them And if in all these Cases they must offend of Malicious Wickedness and so be such concerning whom the Psalmist prays that God would not be merciful unto them May we not ask the Apostles Question who then can be saved In a word doth Peter say even of the People of the Jews that they through ignorance renounced and Crucified their Sauiour And Paul that he through Ignorance did persecute the Church of Christ Could they I say do this through Ignorance in such a a Cloud of Miracles which Christ and his Apostles wrought And may not our Dissenters in such a Conflict as there is betwixt the Learned of our Nations touching Ceremonies be thought to to err not out of Pride and Malice but out of Ignorance and Prejudice not out of want of Will but Judgment Before I return an Answer I must enter a Caveat The Reconciler argues here as he did formerly ex falsis suppositis Upon false suppositions That Dr. Womock affirms that all the Dissenters to a man without exception are v. pa. 108. Proud Froward Stubborn Malicious c. This Dr. Womock does utterly deny and takes it for a foul Slander And he cannot but observe what Montaltius saies in his Provincial Letters Whoever makes use of Lying acts by let 11. the Spirit of Satan There 's no directions of the intention can rectify Calumny and were it to Convert the whole World it were not lawful to traduce the innocent because we must not commit the least Evil to promote the greatest Good and that the Truth of God doth not stand in need of our lying And now I must tell this Reconciler that be the Doom of such persons never so sad they are sure to be judged according to this Rule for do not they sin Wilfully and Maliciously who sin frequently by Omission and Commission against Knowledg against Conscience against Admonitions That the Schoolmen call a Sin of Malice when neither Ignorance nor Passion is the cause of Sinning but the Will depraved by Pride by Envy by Hatred or any the like Habit or Evil Custome and generally saith Estius In Sent. l. 2. Dist 22. Sect. 17. John 16. He that sins out of certain knowledg And men may think they do well and that they do God Service when they Sin out of malice These things they imagined and were deceived Excaecavit enim eos Malitia eorum For Malice blinded Sap. 2. 21. them I must add that Concupiscence does sometime make a Sin the more Voluntary and consequently the more Malicious according to the Notion of the Schoolmen which the Reconciler seems not clearly to understand being I suppose better versed in the Homilies of St. Chrysostome then in the Writers upon the Sentences which makes him so indistinct and laxe in his discoursing When a man is determined by any sort of Concupiscence unto Evil so that he has no Reluctancy no inclination to the contrary in this Case his Concupiscence makes his Sin the more Voluntary And the Reason is clear because the Will is carried with more fervour and Vehemency into that Object unto which it is determined by Concupiscence then otherwise it would be as is manifest by experience and hence is that of St. James Chap. 1. 14 15. Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own Lust and enticed Then when Lust hath conceived by the consent or conjunction of the VVill with it it bringeth forth Sin and sin when it is finished bringeth forth Death As to the Question Who then can be See Dr. Hamonds Discourse of sins of Weakness and VVilfulness Saved The Wise man shall answer it He that confesseth and forsaketh his Sins shall have Mercy there is Tabula post Naufragium and Christ came to call sinners to Repentance If the Reconciler has a mind to reconcile Schism and Sedition or any other wilful gross sin to the State of Salvation without a particular Repentance in the Ordinary course of our Ministry I am no Casuist for his turn The Moral I have learnt and taught is that of the Prophet Wash ye make ye clean put away the Evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do Evil learn to do Well c. Isa 1. 16. 17. For David's imprecation Be not merciful Psal 59. 5. unto them who offend of Malicious wickedness The Case is Extraordinary and no man that understands how to discourse pertinently and distinctly would jumble it in a dispute of this Nature Here we are to distinguish the Cause from the Persons for all Sins are not equally Criminal This is evident from that of Ely If one man sinneth against 1 Sam. 2. 25. another the Judge shall judge him but if a man sinneth against the Lord who shall intreat for him And then among Persons there are Degrees Some do sin Wittingly and Willingly and yet they are Curable by the means of Grace by Instruction and Good Advice But others run into Blasphemy and such a malicious Opposition of known Truth that they sin themselves into an Execration as St Paul declares to the Corinthians If any man Love not v. Moller in Psal 59. 6. the Lord Jesus let him be accursed And that Explication of St. Austin is very fit to be taken into Consideration That these Imprecations are the Dictates of the Holy Ghost in the mouth of the Prophet pronouncing as it were the Last Sentence upon Blasphemers and the treacherous and implacable Enemies of the Church I cannot give you a fitter Character of these Persons than what is done by the Reverend Dean of Peterburgh in his Paraphrase upon the Text which is this Appear now for my relief and punish all those Wicked men who call themselves thy People but are as barbarous and cruel as false and perfideous as the Heathen Do not spare them therefore nor shew any favour to such as violate all the Laws of Justice and Charity and keep no Faith with their Neighbours The Instances are but few wherein Prophets and Governours do make Imprecations against their Subjects or Inferiours But we must conclude the Case is very Sad when a Moses the Meakest Prince that ever was when a Paul a man so Charitable that he wisht himself accursed from Christ to win Rom. 9. 3. others to Salvation When such men as these shall take up the most dreadful Imprecations that can be imagined against any Party that relate to them this must proceed from some Extraordinary Provocation The text saith Moses was Numb 16. 15. very wroth and said unto the Lord Respect not thou their Offering And St. Paul said I would they were even cut Gal. 5. 12. off that trouble you Why what was the matter Here was nothing but a Party of Holy men that divided themselves from the Publick Congregation to Numb 16. 3. Worship God in their own way which indeed was not
name the Persons that are so censured let him repeat the Words and cite the Page or Pages where this Censure is to be found If he can produce none of these things I have Commission in Dr. Womock's Name to proclaim him a malicious and shameless Libeller But 't is a small matter with him to Judge and Libel Dr. Womock he has the forehead to do as much by his Prince and all that are in Authority in Church and State and is it possible for the Dissenters to escape his Lash Indeed P. 114. he concludes them a Pack of damned Villains who go astray out of Pride Malice Stubbornness and he saith p. 108 We have cause to fear the thing is too true that there be men of this Malicious Proud Stubborn Temper among the Body of Dissenters But alas Good man he would not Censure them for a World And yet at another time he thinks p. 58. 59. fit but it is in the Spirit of Meekness to ask them these few Questions Do they prefer Mercy before Sacrifice who will not submit to Rites or Circumstances or to the Use of things no where forbidden in the Word to prevent Schism and all the dreadful Consequences of it But rather will give cause to their Superiours to Judg them scandalous Resisters of Authority and pertinacious Disturbers of the Churches Peace Are they compassionate towards the Sheep according to our Lord's Example who rather will refuse to become Labourers in his Harvest and Teachers of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God than submit to these little Things in order to their regular Performance of this Blessed Work Do not they scandalize offend and contribute unto the Ruin of Christ's Little Ones who do involve them in a wretched Schism on the account of things which they may Lawfully submit to Do not they shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against Men who forbid them to enter when they may Do not they impose heavy Burthens also who say to their Disciples Hear not the Common-Prayer Receive not the Sacrament kneeling Suffer not your Children to be signed with the Cross Communicate not with that Minister who wears a Surplice or with that Church who imposeth any Ceremonies or any Constitutions But concerning the Time and Place of performing publick Worship If the Good Shepherd should lay down his Life for the Sheep should not they lay down their unnecessary Scruples for their sakes If nothing doth so scandalize Christ's Followers as to find their Teachers at Discord and divided can They act as becometh his Disciples who are not willing to procure Unity and Concord and to avoid this Scandal by their Submission to things indifferent in their own Nature and not forbidden in the Law of God Now whether this be not much more Magisterial and not a whit less Censorious than any thing that fell from the pen of Dr. Womock in his Verdict let the Reader Judge However Dr. Womock is not much concern'd at the Reproaches of his Prayers but thinks fit to return his Charity in the Exprobration and Command of our Common Judge which may concern Luc. Brug Significatur Curiositas intuendi in alienos errores Studio reprelendendi the Reconciler no less then Dr. Womock Mat. 7. 3. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy Brothers Eye but considerest not the beam that is in thine own Eye ver 5. Thou hypocrite first cast out beam out of thine own Eye and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy Brothers Eye And now we may take leave to reflect upon the other Mistakes and false Suggestions in this Paragraph 1. What dormant Warrant he may have to pass the Decretory or Final Sentence of Damnation upon any Person I cannot tell but I am sure there is no such Warrant to be found in Scripture nor any such Sentence to be pronounced by any man without the Spirit of Prophecy 2dly Whereas He saith the Dissenters differ only from us about Meats or Festivals or things Indifferent in which God's Kingdom does by no means consist We say otherwise The Difference is in matters of Obedience under the command of Righteousness and in matter of Uniformity under the command of Peace which with Joy in the Holy Ghost are the very Foundation and Pillars of God's Kingdom For he that in these things Rom. 14. 17. 18. serveth Christ is acceptable to God and approved of Men. 3dly For our Saviours Prohibition Judge not Mr. Calvin saith His Verbis praecise non prohibuit Christus a Judicando which is flatly opposite to the Reconciler Christ by these Words doth not precisely forbid Judging but would cure a disease which is commonly bred of Curiosity or Malevolence Calvin But to condemn all Sin is not only Lawful but Necessary unless we have a mind to Bark against God to abrogate his Laws to rescind his Judgments and to overthrow his Tribunal For he will have us be the Heraulds of that Sentence which he hath pronounced against the Wickedness of men though withal we are obliged to be so modest as to acknowledg him the only Judge and Law-giver who is able to save and to destroy The Publick Judgment of Prince Praelates Senates whose Office it is to condemn the Guilty and absolve the Innocent being no less necessary than beneficial to Civil Societies is by no means forbidden by our Saviour and why should Divines study Cases of Conscience but to Judge and satisfie such as are Scrupulous and Doubtful and a good man that values his Soul his Conscience his Interest in Christ in Grace and Heaven would be glad to receive some Satisfaction therein and if he be wise he will apply himself to some Ghostly Father to that Effect but how can He do him good if he doth not Judge for him The Judgment our Saviour forbids is Private and not all private Judgment neither but only what is Rash and Malicious To condemn Crimes Manifest and Notorious that is not to Judge but to follow God's Judgments who hath expresly condemned Them already in his Word We are forbidden to Judge of Others when their Actions are Doubtful but not when their Works are Manifest and the matter of Fact clear and out of Question as St. Augustine hath resolved it and our Lord before him in that Direction By their Fruits ye shall know them which is to be understood of such manifest Deeds as cannot be done of a Good mind such as Theft Whoredome and all matters of Fraternal Correction which cannot Irenaeus 2. 4. c. 49. be performed without a Proevious Judgment which therefore cannot be here forbidden They therefore abuse this Testimony saies Mr Calvin who under In Mat. 7. 1. pretence of that Moderation which Christ commends would take away all distinction of Good and Evil. 4thly But the Reconciler urgeth That those places of Scripture may Justly be suppos'd to forbid the Judging and Condemning of our Brother without sufficient cause To this I
can of the Miscarriages which they know To this the Answer will be very short I know 't is the Ambition of all Hypocrites to be esteemed better than they are and 't is their Study and Care as well as Artifice to seem so but such a man is a great Fool for his Pains he may be deceiv'd himself but God is not mocked by such delusions He hath laid down the Rule and we must stand or fall by it With what Measure ye mete it shall be Measur'd to you again Matth. 7. 2. In this Case I say God's Will be Done If ever this Reconciler finds me either a Rebel to my Prince or a Schismatick to my Church let him deal with me as I shall deserve let him put me into his Pack of Villains and I will forgive him The Reconciler carries on his Argument thus When it is not evidently Protestatio contra Factum we would have Men believe us when we protest that it is purely out of Conscience towards God that we refuse Obedience to the Commands of men and therefore we are by this Rule obliged so to Demean our selves in passing of our Judgements upon others I perceive this Reconciler is young enough to become Wiser If he had been of Age at Forty one he might have seen and taken a Solemn Protestation to maintain His Majesties Royal Person Honour and Estate and after that He might have seen his Weak Brethren take a Solemn League and Covenant wherein they did Protest and Swear with Hands and Eyes lifted up to Heaven that their design was to make His Majesty a Glorious King to preserve His Royal Person Crown and Dignity and that they had no Thoughts or Intentions to diminish any thing of His Majesties just Power and Greatness How they performed that Protestation Jan. the 30th will be a lasting Commemoration Have we not seen Addresses to the late King from those Dissenting Brethren under the Stile of Your Majesties most Humble and Obedient Subjects when they had their Swords in their Hands ready to Cut His Throat That I was not a Stranger to their Proceedings Pretences and Designes you may conclude from those Historical Observations Printed for W. Webb at Oxford 1643. under the Title of Sober Sadness I 'le vary the Apostle's Stile while I apply my self to our Dissenters I write not these things to shame you but as my deluded 1 Cor. 4. 14. Country-Men I warn you And altho the Spirit of Mildness and Charity may have it's angry Sallies and Emotions yet that you may be sure I do not stretch my self beyond the Line of Justice or Charity in this undertaking I shall acquaint you with the Marks which the Fathers of the Church have left us whereby to discern whether Reprehensions proceed from a Spirit of Piety and Charity or from a Spirit of Impiety and Exasperation These Marks or Rules are Collected to my Hand by Montaltius in his Provincials Letter 11. The first whereof is this 1st That the Spirit of Piety inclines a man to speak alwayes with Truth and Sincerity whereas Envy and Exasperation spares neither Lies nor Calumnies If we advance things which are untrue I say with St. Hilary let our discourses he reputed Infamous but if we plainly shew that what we do produce is publick and manifest it is no Breach of Moderation and Apostolical Liberty to reprove them 2ly As the First Rule is to speak with Truth so the Second is to speak with Discretion Wicked Men sayes St. Augustine persecuting the Good are hurried away with the blind Passion that animates them Whereas the Good Prosecute the Wicked with a Prudent Discretion as Chirurgeons consider where they Cut but Murderers care not where they Strike 3ly The Third Rule is That when a Man is obliged to fall into something of Satyr the Spirit of Piety inclines him to direct his wit against Errours not against Holy things whereas the Spirit of Sycophancy Impiety and Heresy makes Sport with what is most Sacred I wish the Reconciler to consider how Prophane he has bin in maing a May-game of the Observances of the Church 4ly I shall add but one Rule more which is the Principle and End of all the Rest and that is This. That the spirit of Charity inclines a man to make Hearty Wishes for their Salvation against whom He speaks and when He directs his Reproaches to men at the same time to address his Prayers to God A man should always with St. Augustin preserve Charity in his Heart even when he is obliged to do outwardly things that to men seem very Harsh and to smite them with a rough but obliging Severity their Advantage being prefer'd before their Satisfaction This was the Practise of John the Baptist who doubtless desir'd the Salvation of such as apply'd themselves to his Ministry yet how did He upbraid the Pharisees and Saducees with their Viperous Temper How did He undervalue their Carnal Priviledge of having Abraham to their Father as if the conceit of that had bin Charm enough to secure them from approaching Vengeance How does He press them to a Worthy Repentance threatning and even frightning them into it with the keen Ax and a consuming Fire all this Mat. 3. 7 9. c. we are told in the sacred Text and 't was no less an instance of his Love than the discharge of his Holy Office We are now drawing towards the end this Chapter and that were some comfort if were sure he would not entertain us as he hath done too often already with Repetitions but he gives us fair hopes of an End for he saies Lastly were the Scandal which Dissenters take at the imposing of the Ceremonies Scandalum Pharisaicum or like to that which by the Pharises was taken against the Doctrine of our Lord I know not why we should not be concerned to do all which lawfully we may for the Prevention or Removal of it For when our Saviour paid Tribute lest he should offend them did he not then forgo his Liberty to avoid the Scandal of the Pharisees And when the false-False-Apostles in the Church of Corinth were like to be offended at St. Pauls taking Wages doth he not abstain to prevent that Offence The Reconciler is the only man I have met withall that Loves to talk at Random and without distinction he knows not why we should not be concerned to prevent or remove the Scandal of a Pharisee how far concerned whether in Justice or Charity or upon what other account he doth not tell us However I am ready to do what Lawfully may to such a purpose with all my Heart When I find a man who has turn'd his Back upon Jerusalem to go to Jericho if he has fallen into ill handling and be wounded with Errour and Superstition I will not flatter him that he is in a safe condition like a Levitical Reconciler but I 'le endeavour to dress and bind up his Wounds and deliver him to the Ministry of
1 Tim. 4. in Principio From these and sundry other Evidences it may appear that although St. Paul in matters of Indifferency did sometimes both Advise and Practice out of Condescention and special Dispensation yet he came to a Standing-Rule at last and 't was no less his Judgment than his Practice that such things were finally to be setled by Authority Lastly the Reconciler having shuffled aside some other of Meisners Arguments he concludes with that drawn ab incommodo which he endeavours to Baffle by putting it into the Mouth of a Strong Christian among the Romans but that Argument concerns the State of a setled Church and is Pleadable only by such Persons as are Conformable to the Constitutions of it and this the Reader that has but half an eye and a few grains of Discretion may observe But if you deny the Reconciler his groundless Suppositions and what he vainly beggs you deflower the Beauty of his whole Harangue which consists not so much in Truth as Plausibility To conclude this Rencontre in behalf of Meisner I have proved already that the Christians at Rome were not yet Incorporated that they had no Establishment by Laws Discipline and Government St. Paul for some weighty Reasons no doubt was pleased to Defer this Settlement till his coming which they say was the very next Year after the Writing of this Epistle to them Anonym Paraphrase and Annotations on the 2 Cor. 11. 13. Note the second In the mean while he directs them as Private Persons how they should demean themselves towards one another This Mr. Hales himself was convinced of after some Meditation upon Sermon on Rom. 14. 1. in fine that Text Him that is weak in the Faith c. Rom. 14. 1. Wherefore having laid down the Method of his Discourse tho he resolved after he had given an Account First Who those weak ones are of whom the Apostles speaks And Secondly Who those Persons are to whom the Precept of entertaining is given having named two the Private Man and the Publick Magistrate tho he had promised some Instruction for the Publick Magistrate yet upon second Thoughts with the Pardon of his Audience he takes Leave to break his Promise and gives this Reason for it Because saith he I suppose this Precept to Concern us especially if not only as Private Men and that in case of Publick Proceeding there is scarce room for it Private Men may pass over offences at their Pleasure and may be in not doing it they 'l do worse But thus to do lyes not in the Power of the Magistrate who goes by Laws Prescribing him what he is to do By this time Meisner I hope may be set at Liberty and in a condition to keep the Field But being obliged to the Reconciler more than a little for some Civil Intreaties Dr. Womock is loth to die in his Debt upon that account and commands me to pay that Score for him Wherefore I beg of him to consider 1. Whether in his Attempt to overthrow the Practice of Uniformity he does not contradict the Grammatical Sence of Scripture and the Judgment of the most Learned and Pious Protestants For whereas 't is alledged that Unity of Judgment and Uniformity of Practice are not onely desireable in themselves but also required by those Scriptures which Conjure us by the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ to be perfectly joyned together in the same Mind and in the same Judgment and that we may the Better prevent Schisms to walk by the same Rule and to speak the same Thing that we may with 1 Cor. 1. 10. Philip. 3. 16. Rom. 15. 16. one Mind and one Mouth Glorifie God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ This Reconciler to elude this Evidence tells the Reader if these Places Pag. 320. be considered seriously they will be found not to exhort so much which if he had spoken Congruously and made good Syntax should have been not at all to Unity of Judgment but of Affection not to Uniformity but to Unanimity But for the Primitive Christians we are well assured that they were not only of one Heart and of one Soul which implies their 〈…〉 that they continued stedfastly in the Apostles Doctrine and Conduct which was the Fellowship of Pastour and Flock and in breaking of Bread and in Prayers which Acts 4. 32. C. 2. 42. implies their Uniformity in all Offices of Church Communion And Gualter upon the Apostles Prayer for the Romans Now the God of Patience grant you to be like-minded that ye may with one Mind and one Mouth Glorify God hath this Observation Servit-Locus iste jis confutandis qui ut omnibus Homines Commodi videantur omnes Gualter Ad Rom. Hom. 87 quoque Religiones aut cultus Divini Formas probant This Place saith he serves very fitly to confute them who that they may seem compliant to Men of all Humours do also approve of all Religions or Forms of Divine Worship And by his Writings it appears that Trimmers and Phanaticks are of the sâ—me standing and came early into the Church after the Reformation and he observes another Practice of theirs which may be no less worth our Notice Ubi Papatus regnat saies he In those Places where the Papacy Reigns these men do searce ever appear or at least never set their hands to the purging of Religion and freeing it from Superstition 〈…〉 as ever any Reformation is begun and the Liberty of the Gospel takes Footing thro the Care and Pains of Pious Ministers then they Creep in without delay Give disturbance to the Church while it is young and tender Et Ministris adhuc Idem Hom. 90. cum Superstitione Idolatria Pugnantibus nova Certamina excitant And while the Faithful Ministers of Christ are yet in Conflict with Superstition and Idolatry they step in also to contend and make fresh assaults upon them If these Men think themselves obliged under Peril of Damnation as they pretend they are to Exercise their Gifts where Ignorant or Seduced Souls may stand in need of their Ministry I wish their Zeal would carry them into France or Italy to set up Conventicles there and discharge that Duty 2. Let me intreat this Reconciler to Consider whether he does not Style himself the Protestant-Reconciler by a Figure For there seems to be an Antiphrasis in the Title because the Book speaks a Design and looks like an Attempt to set the Governours and People together by the Ears in that it represents the one Vntractable and the other it proclaimes Rigorous 3. Let 〈◊〉 intreat him to 〈◊〉 whether when he meditated to Compete his Book he did not walk upon the Borders of the False Prophets and borrow Ezek. 13. 10. some of their untempered Morter to Daâ—â—e up the Dissenters Walls and Breaches Eâ—gebant Populum Falsa Doctrina â—â—â—m 〈◊〉 Lenocinio verboram saies Lavater And has he not borrowed Lime and Sand from the Morals of
charges as to Obey them that have the Rule over us and to submit our selves upon peril of Damnation I say when God first made these Laws he knew some would obey and some would not if then he thought that many would incur the Guilt of sin unto Damnation by their Disobedience he must have something of greater worth than the souls of those men to encourage him to make those Laws for had there been no such Laws there would have been none of that Transgression and consequently no Damnation for it This is Parallel to Mr. Baxters way of arguing and our Reconciler is much taken with such weak Popular Reasonings Rom. 9. 20. I could Reply with the Apostle Nay but O man who art thou that disputest with God But I will tell these men that God though he gave his only begotten Son to Redeem Souls yet having set up a Ministry in his Church to guide their feet into the way of Peace He has something of greater worth than such Stubborn and Disobedient Souls as neglect so Luke 19. 27. Prov. 1. 20. to the 32. great Salvation that is his own Glory and the Authority which he has delegated unto his Vicegerents and Stewards and establisht for the more regular Government of the World and it is that Glory of God which Governors do and are obliged to aim at and this Authority which they are concern'd to maintain to that effect The Reconciler goes on The Question who can tell may be answered by another Question which he puts thus Who can tell what doubts may arise and what Confusion may follow upon the refusal to abate these Impositions But in the mean time this he saith is certain That whilest our Schisms and Contentions about these Trifles do continue Religion is Blasphemed the Atheist and Sceptick is gratified the Jew the Gentile the Weak Christian is offended the Protestant Religion is Reproacht and Popery gets great advantage the Church and State are indangered the Peace Unity Charity Edification of the Church is much Obstructed and what mischief equal to all or any of these things can follow from an inconsiderable Variation in a Ceremony or an Expression used in the Liturgy it is not easy to conceive To which 't is Answered 1. That the Mischiefs which will ensue have been mentioned already Reason may suggest the rest and Experience has taught enough of it to very Ideots 2. The Mischiefs which he reckons up in this place are wholly from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Dissenters Contention and Schisme not at all from our Governours Impositions which are the Churches Settlement 't is their Disobedience that is Malae rei exemplum as Tertullian calls it the ill example and that 's the Scandal to all the Parties mentioned 3. And that he confesses is about trifles and an inconsiderable Variation in a Ceremony or an Expression used in the Liturgy and are not they excellent Christians that will gratify the Atheist and the Sceptick offend the Jew and the Gentile and the Weak Christian bring a reproach upon the Protestant Religion give advantage to Popery endanger the Peace of Church and State Obstruct Unity Charity Edification and what not by contending with Authority about these things wherein doubtless 't is their Duty to submit and conform 4. His Question Who can tell what doubts may arise and what confusion may follow upon the refusal to abate these Impositions carries the face of a threatning in the Mask or Vizor of a Question I remember one of His Majesties Royal Ancestors had a very witty and significant Motto upon his Coine The Thistle incircled with this inscription Nemo me impune Lacessit Tho the Roses of York and Lancaster and Withred in their Old Stock and have lost their Scent and Prickles yet the English Lyon is not at all disarm'd If he be roused up by Threats and Tumults he may find Courage as well as Power to crush all the force of Schism and Sedition His Second Answer as he calls it is in the words of the Judicious Lord Verulam who saies Surely every Medicine is an Innovation and he that will not apply new Remedies must expect new Evils For time is the greatest Innovator and if time of Course alters things to the worse and Wisdom and Counsel shall not alter them to the better what shall be the end A froward retention of Custom is as turbulent a thing as Innovation And here 's break my Head and give me a Plaister But He that will not apply new Remedies must expect new evils is a little Preposterous the new evils should appear first and then we should think of the Application of new Remedies Here 's a pretty Lepid Knack of fancy out of a great Magazine of Reason But they are not the Diseases of a Crazy Body that we are to Administer to 't is the Distemper of a profane mind Irreverence in Gods Publick Worship and Service which calls for our Care if not our Cure To talk of Innovations upon this account has been cry'd out of as an Abomination And for our parts we are content with such Remedies as we find prescribed in Gods own Dispensatory Bowing Kneeling Prostration or what are allyed to such Institutions and Practices as are Warranted by examples in Holy Scripture These are suggested by the Light of Nature and were in use before the Law Micah 6. 6. They were in use under the Law too Psal 95. 9. Dan. 6. 10. Luk. 22. 41. they were still prescribed under the Gospel Act. 7. 60. c. 9. 40. Eph. 3. 14. Apoc. 4. 6. 7. Chapters and they will keep their force and vertue to the Worlds end Isa 45. 23. Rom. 14. 11. to what purpose therefore should we seek for new Remedies in this case Is Gods mind changed Or has Jesus Christ repeal'd his old and given us New Rules of Decency and Order There 's no ground or Colour for such an Imagination What shall we say then This Reconcilers Phantasie has been wandring in the New Atlantis and the Climate was so hot it brought him into a Calenture and that makes him Thirst so much for the Julip of a New Remedy and his Appetite will not be satisfied till he takes a surfeit of Novelties His Third Answer is this The Change here pleaded for so he professes that he pleads for a Change and no doubt he has had his Fee for his pains or if the Party has not done it his Governours whom he endeavours to take down are indebted to him for it This is his Plea the Change doth signify no more than a change of Habits and Fashions and of some Old Custom which has been found Irrational or Inconvenient and if this be very dreadful to the State all our Laws concerning the alteration of them may be so Or if for the advantage of our Trade or our Estates or for the benefit of the Subject in reference to his temporal Concerns we doubt not to make alterations in those kinds
Brother be he Jew or Gentile to offend For Kneeling and bowing whatever Mat. 4. 1. mean Conceit the Reconciler has of it The Divel was not so much an Ass as to offer all the Glory of the World for a trifle He knew it to be God's due and a part of his External Worship and so he valued it and was desirous to purchase it upon that account And I am of Opinion it cannot be totally taken away from God's Service without Sacriledge And if we can take the Confidence to abolish this let us never blame the Church of Rome for taking away the Cup from the Laity in the Lord's Supper for the Sacrament in ' its integrity is but a part of External Worship and the Cup but a part of that part And the taking away of Kneeling utterly out of God's Worship seems to be a greater Offence than taking away the Cup because that is a Part of the Law of Nature whereas the Sacrament is but of positive Institution and consequently not so strictly binding And being an undoubted part of God's External Worship and a piece of Natural Religion we certainly do well to use it at the Sacrament as an Acknowledgement of Christ's Divinity which now a-dayes is so professedly impugned by the Socinians And We shall allow our Governours very little to do about matters of Religion if they may neither Ordain a Ceremony nor so much as appoint a special time for the performance of an undoubted Part of God's External Worship That some of the Dissenters act out of Pride Malice Obstinacy the Reconciler fears is too true That all of them Pag. 108. are of that Temper Dr. womock is so far from affirming that he thinks 't is very false He does not pretend to set up a Tribunal in any Man's Heart to Judge the secret Operations of his Mind But he is very well assured That good meanings can never Sanctify wicked Actions and we need no Window in some Men's Breasts to read their inward Dispositions Fides Incredulitas cordium sunt fateor ea nemo hominum judicare potest saith Bullinger Faith Ad Titum 3. 10. and Unbelief I confess are the Secrets of the Heart which no Man can judge Ex Dictis vero Factis ijsque manifestis debent fieri hominum judicia We must Judge of Men therefore by their Words and Actions which are manifest and apparent Our Saviours Rule cannot fail Us if we take it aright and he tells Us more than once By their Mat. 7. 16. Deut. 32. 32 33. fruits ye shall know them What Harvest have we had of these Thorns What Figs have we reapt from these Thistles Have not their Grapes been Grapes of Gall and their Clusters bitter Has not their wine been the poison of Dragons and the Crud venome of Aspes 'T is Gualters Observation and I desire Ad Rom. Homil 87. cap. 15. 5 6. the Reader to take Notice that in this Discourse I make no use of Jesuits to offend the Reconciler or his weak Brethren but such Protestants as are the most likely to favour the Cause of the Dissenters if there were any Reason or Colour for it Hi ut Ecclesiam turbant it a dei cultores esse non possunt cum Unitatem scindant quâ ille imprimis delectatur He speaks of the Sowers of Dissentions and Authors of Sects and Factions who as they disturb the Peace of the Church so they cannot be the Servants of God seeing they rent that Unity which he is chiefly delighted with We are told by the Apostle That Schism it self is a Work of the Flesh and excludes the Schismatick from the Kingdom of God But when the tender Conscience Gal. 5. 20. sets up for Reformation we cannot easily forget the great Train of Mischiefs which follows it For upon this Pretence Did not that Party make an Insurrection against Moses and against Aaron and conspire to destroy both Church and State and we know they kept their Wicked Covenant in nothing else How malicious and eager were they to Root out the Royal Family and to anoint the Bramble to Reign over them Did not they affront the late KING of ever blessed Memory by Clamours and Seditious Tumults Did they not Persecute him by Votes and Propositions against all the Rules of Honour and Conscience Did they not Blaspheme his Person slander and defame his Actions Did they not usurp his Power and seize upon his Militia the only guard of it Did they not make themselves Masters of his Revenue his Ships his Forts his Castles Did they not pursue and fight him Drive him from house and home and at last Arraign and Murder him If we can pass these Crimes upon the Accompt of Humane frailty let us no longer blame the Church of Rome for her Doctrine of Venial Sins He that can impute them as the Reconciler is supposed to do to the Prejudices of Pag. 113. Education Mis-conception or Mis-interpretation of the sence of Scripture to the Want of better Information or to unreasonable Fears and Scrupulosities and excuse those execrable practices upon that score may easily be tempted to make an Invective against Moses and Aaron and a Panegyrick upon Corah and to turn the 30th of January as too many of the Party does into a Festival for the honour of our Unrelenting Regicides But the truth is All those gay Pretences viz. the Prejudices of Education the Want of better Information which cannot reasonably be alledged among us Misconception and the like we know are inconsistent with the state of Grace in Jewes and Turks and why not in Sectaries in whom after the contempt of sufficient instruction they do certainly degenerate into Pride Malice and Stubbornness and if they be not finally Corrected and subdued by Repentance they are damning But were their Clergy wanting in point of Education Were they ignorant of the sence of Scripture They would take it in great disdain to be thought so And yet were not they the most Vociferous Trumpeters of our late Rebellion Did not they study invent and publish the most desperate Principles of Sedition Who made the People the highest seat of Soveraignty and placed a Coordinate Power with that of the King in the House of Commons Who intituled them at least to an equal Authority with His Majesty in making Laws and in the command of the Militia And who animated all the Souldiers they could arm and Levy against the King and absolved them from their Oath of Allegiance to Act and Practise those Principles after their Doctrine and Example These are some of the Reconcilers Weak Brethren And for the Common sort were they not consenting to the Deeds of their Seditious Leaders Did they not abett and encourage them by their Addresses and Petitions Did they not approve and applaud them in all their Villanies And assoon as they had destroyed the Church and Government did they not swarm into Sects and Factions and hiv'd themselves
a-part in several Conventicles as their Fancy led them without any regard to Gospel Rule or Government Tantum Religio potuit suadere malorum Such horrid mischiefs never can Commence But when Religion 's made the grand Pretence He that is but of yesterday and knows nothing of these things let him read the History of Independency The Mystery of the two Junctoes The short view of the late troubles with Evangelium Armatum and the Dissenters sayings And here I must put in my Apoligy in the Words of St. Austin upon a like Occasion Non praeterita Vendicando Epist 202. ante finem pascere Iram nostram studemus sed misericorditer in futurum consulendo satagimus We do not study to challenge things past to feed and gratifie our Anger but we endeavour out of great compassion to consult the common Benefit for the future And we have need enough to look forward God knows For Republicans Hobbists Atheists All Factions conspire in the Plea of tender Conscience and shelter themselves in the combination of Weak Brethren to undermine the Government and I am sorry they have gotten such an Engineer as this Reconciler into their service Have we not still amongst the Party such as will take upon them to make not only their own Prayers but their own Creed and their own Commandments And when we soberly consider how obstinate they are in their Schism and Sedition against the best of Kings and Churches we have but too much reason to fear least they should be given up as it hath often hapned in the like case of disobedience to their own delusions For do they not attempt to strengthen themselves in their Perversities by Solemn Leagues and Associations without and against the leave and likeing of their Soveraign Have they not taken all advantages to stuff the Pillow of the Crown with Thornes and to make the Throne to totter and become uneasy to his Majesty These things and the Particulars of them are so fresh in memory it would be but loss of time to repeat them In short these are a Race of men of such strange Machiavilian Principles that when they do most solemnly Protest and Vow to make their Princes Glorious they have a Jesuitical Reservation in it Their meaning and projected Method is to bring them as they did our late most Dear and Sacred Soveraign to the Block of Martyrdom 'T is high time therefore for us to shew our selves men and as Rational Isa 46. 8. Creatures and Loyal Subjects not to suffer our selves to be cheated any longer with the false Pretence of Tender Conscience and the title of Weak Brethren Whatever Men's Designs and Pretences be we are sure our Saviour's Rule is Infallible by their fruits ye shall know them By this I hope we may judge concerning Men's Opinions Whether they are like to be taken up and maintained out of Pride Malice Perversness But the Reconciler does sincerely profess That He knows not any such as can be certainly applied to the Case of the Dissenters And therefore 3ly He intreats Dr. Womock to Pag. 114. consider the falseness and absurdity of that Rule of Judging so severely of his Brethren which he hath borrowed from our Roman Adversaries for if this be a true and certain Rule which Soto has delivered That he must be supposed to err through malice who has been so far admonished that he cannot justly pretend Ignorance or who may easily be convinced of his ignorance And we who are Parties are left to judge of both these things What shall we say to all the Papists in this Nation or all the Learned Papists in the World To all the Reformed Churches who retain Presbitery and all their Pastors who receive Ordination only from their Hands To all those Calvinists who hold the Prelapsarian Doctrines and absolute Decrees of Reprobation To all the Lutherans who hold the foolish Doctrine of Con-substantiation Will Dr. Womock say That there has not been said Sufficient to convince them of their Errors so that they cannot justly pretend Ignorance May he not put them all in the same Form with our Dissenters and judge as Charitably of the Dissenter as of an erring Papist And if so all these Persons must be a pack of Damned Villains that err out of pure Malice Pride Affection and Animosity Stubborness and Frowardness or our Dissenters must escape that heavy Doom In Answer to this third Intreaty I have many things to offer towards a Satisfaction But this I learn from the Reconciler in general That such as err out of pure Malice Pride Affection Animosity Stubborness and Frowardness are a Pack of Damned Villains This the Reconciler makes a Major Proposition And for a Minor or Assumption he declares thus We have cause to Pag. 107. 108. fear the thing is too true that among the Body of Dissenters there be Men of this malicious proud stubborn Temper The Conclusion then from thence should be this Therefore We have cause to fear that amongst the Body of Dissenters there is a pack of Damned Villains Whether Dr. Womock ever let fall any Expression against the Generality of the Dissenters so rudely Censorious he appeals to every Man that has read the Verdict But the Reconciler to take off the Odium of such an Inference from himself has the Confidence to deny the Conclusion But knowing this as I suppose to be most grosly absurd in the Schools of Learning He affixes an Universal upon Pag. 108. Dr. Womock as if he had affirm'd That all the Dissenters to a Man without exception are Proud Froward Stubborn and Malicious that they all Sin out of pure Willfulness and Obstinacy or prepensed Malice and Design Thus he plays with Dr. Womock's Reputation to spring his own Game For upon that false Principle he Argues for six Leaves together But Dr. Womock challenges it as a piece of Justice from him either to make good his Universal Proposition against him or else to wear the Brand of a Notorious Slanderer Till the Reconciler has acquitted himself of this Dr. Womock has reason enough to neglect his Harangues upon such false Suppositions as impertinent but as well to entertain the Reader as to take occasion to assert the Truth I shall make some other Remarks upon what he has here suggested 1. Whereas he sayes We who are 2 Chron. 19. 6. 1 Cor. 5. 4. cap. 14. 37. 2 Cor. 2. 10. Parties are left to judge He is in a great Mistake The Governours of the Church are in Christ's stead in the Execution of their Ministerial Office of Legislation and Discipline In this their Political Capacity they judge not for Man but for the Lord they act as Christ's Stewards and not as Parties in opposition to Sectaries And for that Reason they are to be obeyed for the Lord's sake though in their Personal capacity they are subject to the Laws of the Church as well as other Men. 2. The Reconciler jumbles Things together of